Seun Kuti Reacts To Buhari Death, Recalls Family’s Ordeal
Seun Kuti Buhari death reaction recalls Fela’s persecution, saying no family suffered more under Buhari’s rule. His death is no victory, Kuti insists
Afrobeat singer Seun Kuti has reacted strongly to the passing of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, declaring that no family endured more hardship under the late leader’s regime than his own.
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In an emotionally charged video shared on Instagram, Kuti — son of the legendary musician and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti — accused Buhari of inflicting lasting harm on the Kuti family during his military rule in the 1980s.
“There’s nobody Buhari has offended and damaged like my family,” he said.
“Buhari dealt with my family, but his death is not any type of justice or victory for us.”
Seun referenced the arrests, detentions, and mistreatment suffered by his father and uncles, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti and Koye Ransome-Kuti, who were prominent figures in Nigeria’s civil rights and pro-democracy struggles.
He noted that Buhari’s government was responsible for some of the most repressive actions they faced.
The Afrobeat star also expressed regret that Fela, Beko, and Koye passed away long before Buhari, adding that the former president’s death offers little consolation.
“My only regret is that my dad Fela, and my uncles Koye and Beko died before him,” Seun 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.”
My only regret is that my dad Fela, and my uncles Koye and Beko died before him.
His comments, while laced with dark humour, underline the longstanding hostility between the Kuti family and Buhari’s legacy.
Fela was famously jailed in 1984 under Buhari’s military regime on dubious currency charges, an experience that further fuelled the musician’s anti-establishment music and activism.
Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, a renowned physician and human rights advocate, was also detained multiple times under military rule, while Koye Ransome-Kuti suffered similar persecution for his activism.
Although Seun Kuti acknowledged that Buhari’s death brings no vindication, he reiterated that the trauma inflicted on his family will not be forgotten.
Buhari, who ruled Nigeria as a military dictator from 1983 to 1985 and later served as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023, died on Sunday in London at age 81.
He was buried with full military honours in Daura, Katsina State, on Tuesday.
Reactions to his death have varied widely, with some Nigerians praising his anti-corruption stance while others, like Seun, remembered the pain and repression linked to his authoritarian past.
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The Seun Kuti Buhari death remarks have sparked renewed debate over Buhari’s controversial legacy and the unresolved grievances of those who lived through his iron-fisted regime.
