Who Will Take Buhari's Position in the North? Anifowoshe Gives Response

• Former President Muhammadu Buhari, who died on Sunday, July 13, has left a vacuum in the northern Nigerian political terrain
• The question of who will fill the vacuum among the current political leaders in the north has begun to gain traction among concerned Nigerians
• Titilope Anifowoshe, a legal practitioner, in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, explained that political influence is not transferable

Late former President Muhammadu Buhari has been described as the northern political leader for over two decades, and his death on Sunday, July 13, has left a vacuum in the most populous region in the West African state.

Speaking on who can fill the vacuum, Titilope Anifowoshe, a legal practitioner, in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, explained that no one can inherit the political influence of anyone political leader, adding that it is what one works for that is not transferable.

The legal luminary extolled the virtues of the former president, adding that Buhari got the strong support of the poor and rural masses in the northern region because they had seen him as a stable and trustworthy leader.

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She told Legit.ng that "political inheritance is more organic than property inheritance", suggesting that anyone who will become like Buhari in the northern region would have to work an extra mile with the people at the grassroots to gain their trust and support.

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Anifowoshe explained the possibility of Buhari's party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), retaining some of the loyalty, particularly in the northwest, adding that no political figure currently commands the kind of emotional grip Buhari commanded when he was alive.

Her statement reads:

"In politics, influence is rarely transferable by will. It is earned, not inherited. Muhammadu Buhari’s political followership was not just about ideology or competence; it was emotional, built over decades on a foundation of perceived integrity, northern cultural values, and military legacy. It was especially strong among the poor and rural northern masses who saw him as a symbol of trustworthiness and stability.

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"That said, no one can truly "enter his shoes". Political inheritance is more organic than property inheritance. People follow leaders for deeply personal and historical reasons. Buhari’s cult-like following was unique and built over time. While the APC as a party may retain some of that loyalty, especially in the North-West, no single figure currently commands Buhari’s exact emotional grip on the northern electorate, not even among his allies.

"Time will reveal leaders who may tap into parts of that legacy, but replicating Buhari’s followership is nearly impossible."

Source: Legit.ng