How much does Buhari earn in rental income as a former president?

BBC

FORMER President Muhammadu Buhari recently revealed that he sustained himself financially through rental income from one of his two houses in Kaduna State.

It was not the first time the former leader would make statements alluding to living a modest life, different from his peers. Buhari had repeatedly said he had no personal businesses except a cattle farm in Daura.

However, such claims have been questioned by Nigerians, given the impunity and corruption that characterised his government.

One of his closest officials and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, has been tried and found guilty of corruptly enriching himself by acquiring assets worth billions under the administration of Buhari’s successor, President Bola Tinubu. The Nigerian court has ordered a final forfeiture of some of the assets.

Recently, another court ordered forfeiture of 753 mansions illegally acquired by an unnamed public official under Buhari. The former leader rode to power in 2015 on the mantra of ‘change’ which had the fight against corruption as one of its pillars.

What do former presidents get? 

The ICIR reports that Buhari could receive N4.2 million annual allowance from the proposed 2025 budget by the Tinubu administration.

Buhari and other former Nigerian leaders and their vice, including Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Goodluck Jonathan are to receive N2.3 billion in the proposed budget.

The ICIR’s check on the remuneration of former presidents and heads of state in Nigeria shows that all former presidents and heads of state in Nigeria are entitled to a monthly upkeep allowance of N350,000, which totals N4.2 million annually.

They also receive other benefits, including security personnel such as three to four armed policemen and a State Security Service officer as an aide-de-camp (ADC)…