Special day of tributes: Tinubu, Akpabio, Abbas, Govs, Ministers extol Buhari’s integrity, legacy

 

By Abbas Nazil

In a historic and deeply emotional ceremony held Thursday evening, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led an expanded Federal Executive Council (FEC) session at the State House, Abuja, to honour the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who died on July 13 at the age of 82.

The government also announced that the University of Maiduguri has been renamed Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri in tribute to the eighth Nigerian leader.

The solemn event brought together cabinet ministers, two state governors, the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and members of the Buhari family.

President Tinubu’s heartfelt eulogy moved many to tears as he praised Buhari’s incorruptibility, discipline, and humility, calling his absence a loss that would be felt for generations.

“President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, former Head of State and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has gone to rest,” Tinubu said.

“He stood, always, ramrod straight; unmoved by the temptation of power, unseduced by applause and unafraid of the loneliness that often visits those who do what is right, rather than what is popular.”

According to Tinubu, Buhari’s life was marked by austere honour and quiet courage, and his enduring legacy lies in his unshakeable patriotism and democratic values.

“His was a quiet courage, a righteousness that never announced itself.

His patriotism was lived more in action than in words,” the President noted.

The renaming of the 50-year-old university marks a symbolic gesture of national memory.

“We aim to enshrine Buhari’s name where it most deeply belongs—in the minds of future generations,” Tinubu affirmed.

A powerful revelation came from the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, who disclosed a previously unknown 2022 letter from Buhari expressing strong support for Tinubu’s presidential candidacy.

In the letter to the APC Governors Forum, Buhari wrote: “We know his [Tinubu’s] commitment, his track record, and his capacity to lead our party to success.”

Other dignitaries, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, and several ministers, echoed Tinubu’s sentiments, describing Buhari as a humble and selfless leader who prioritised national duty over personal gain.

Senate President Akpabio described him as a man who gave everything to a country that demanded everything of him.

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas said Buhari embodied quiet strength and moral clarity in a materialistic era.

Governor Abdulrazaq hailed him as a patriot and a servant of the Nigerian people.

Ministers including Dele Alake, Ali Pate, Dave Umahi, Festus Keyamo, Imaan Suliaman-Ibrahim, and Head of Civil Service Didi Walson-Jack all paid glowing tributes to the late leader.

Yusuf Buhari, speaking on behalf of the family, thanked the government and Nigerians for the national outpouring of love, noting that his father was remembered as more than a politician—but as a friend and father to all.

President Tinubu concluded by urging Nigerians to reflect on the values Buhari stood for: humility, moral clarity, incorruptibility, and a life of service.

The tribute, infused with solemn reflection and a national resolve to uphold Buhari’s legacy, marked a poignant chapter in Nigeria’s history.