‘Buhari Dealt with My Family’ – Seun Kuti Speaks on Former President’s Death

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Afrobeat singer and activist, Seun Kuti, has openly expressed his thoughts following the death of Nigeria’s former President, Muhammadu Buhari, stating that the late leader "dealt with and damaged" his family during his military regime in the 1980s.

Buhari, who died in a London clinic on Sunday, July 13, 2025, was buried with full military honours in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, on Tuesday, July 15. While tributes have continued to pour in from political figures and supporters, Seun Kuti offered a contrasting and emotional perspective that has since sparked fresh debate about Buhari’s controversial past.

In a video posted via his official Instagram page, Seun, the youngest son of legendary Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, claimed that no Nigerian family suffered under Buhari’s leadership as much as his did. According to him, the late president’s actions during his time as Head of State in the 1980s caused irreparable damage to the Kuti family, both physically and emotionally.

“There’s nobody Buhari has offended and damaged like my family,” Seun stated in the video. “Buhari dealt with my family, but his death is not any type of justice or victory for my family.”

He further lamented that his father and uncles  Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti and Koye Ransome-Kuti  were victims of political persecution under Buhari’s regime. Fela was famously arrested and jailed in 1984 under the controversial "War Against Indiscipline" initiative, which critics argue was used to suppress dissenting voices and silence critics of the government.

Seun’s emotional remarks highlight the long-standing bitterness that the Kuti family holds toward Buhari’s administration. According to Seun, his only consolation is the symbolic idea that Fela, Beko, and Koye will “gang up” against Buhari in the afterlife.

“My only regret is that my dad Fela, and my uncles Koye and Beko died before him; all better men than him,” he said. “The only solace I can take from his death is that the three of them will gang up against him in the afterlife if there’s such a thing.”

Buhari’s rule in the 1980s was marked by mass arrests, a clampdown on press freedom, and the detention of activists and musicians  including Fela, who was sentenced to five years in prison by a military tribunal. Amnesty International and other rights groups condemned the sentence as politically motivated. Fela was eventually released in 1986 following the regime change that brought General Ibrahim Babangida to power.

Even though Buhari later returned to power as a democratically elected president in 2015, the memories of his authoritarian rule lingered in the minds of many Nigerians, especially those who felt targeted.

Reactions to Seun’s statement have been mixed online. While some Nigerians sympathized with his pain and acknowledged the historical injustices suffered by the Kuti family, others criticized the timing of his comments, urging the singer to show respect to the dead.

Despite the divided opinions, Seun’s comments underline the deep scars left by Buhari’s earlier administration and the ongoing conversations about justice, accountability, and historical memory in Nigeria.

As the nation continues to process the death of one of its most polarizing leaders, voices like Seun Kuti’s serve as a reminder that not all legacies are remembered the same way.

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