Northern Group Recruited Buhari into Politics to Counter OPC – Buba Galadima

July 15, 2025

By Ayinde Adeleke

Buba Galadima, a prominent figure in the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), has disclosed that a northern group brought late President Muhammadu Buhari into politics to counter the activities of the Oduduwa Peoples Congress (OPC).

Galadima made this revelation on Arise Television’s Morning Show program.

According to Galadima, the OPC’s aggressive actions in 1999 and 2000, particularly their invasion of Ilorin with over 500 vehicles to dismantle Fulani structures, prompted the northern group to seek a way to stop them. The group, which included Galadima, decided to recruit Buhari into politics to achieve this goal.

Galadima explained that the group met in Kaduna to discuss ways to address the OPC’s menace. He said, “Some of us who recruited Buhari had a mission. And I will reveal that mission today.”

The NNPP chieftain revealed that Buhari was initially hesitant to join politics due to his negative perception of politicians.

However, the group successfully persuaded him to join, and he eventually became a major player in Nigerian politics.

Galadima stated, “General Buhari came into politics. It was not his province. He never liked the politicians because he believed we are fake and that we do not mean what we say.”

The group’s primary objective was to stop the OPC’s activities, and they achieved this goal after Buhari joined politics.

Galadima said, “We achieved our first purpose of putting a brake on what the OPC was doing. Immediately Buhari joined partisan politics, we had a very big outing to initiate him into politics. The Obasanjo government became restive and was shaken to its bone marrow. Obasanjo had to really checkmate the OPC.”

Galadima added, “So, for that reason, we achieved our first purpose of bringing General Buhari into partisan politics. The remaining now is history.”