— Says ex-President maintained his signature serenity in life, in Death
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
Abuja – PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, paid an emotional tribute to his predecessor, the late Muhammadu Buhari, hailing Buhari’s devotion to Nigeria as “patriotism lived more in actions than in words.”
The tribute was delivered during a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) session at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, convened in honour of the former president.
University Renaming and Attendees
In a symbolic move, President Tinubu announced that the University of Maiduguri would be renamed in Buhari’s honour. The expanded FEC session was attended by top Nigerian officials, including:President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas,
Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibril, Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, Head of Civil Service, Dr. Didi Walson-Jack,
Secretary to the Government, Senator George Akume, Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman, AbdulRazaq, Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma and the Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda
Buhari’s children were present, though the former First Lady, Dr. Aisha Buhari, was absent as chief mourner.
Buhari’s Passing and Final Rites
The former President, who governed Nigeria from 2015 to 2023, passed away on Sunday, July 13, in London after a prolonged illness. His burial in Daura, Katsina State, was conducted on Tuesday according to Islamic rites.
President Tinubu’s Tribute
President Tinubu arrived the Council Chambers at about 5:27pm where majority of the cabinet members were seated.
After the national anthem, President Tinubu in his tribute said that the late President’s patriotism was lived more in actions not in words.
He also said that the late President Buhari was respectful without pretence to his peers and was kind to those who served under him, adding that in death he maintained the serenity that defined him in life.
He said: “Today, we gather under a heavy shadow, drawn from the silence that surrounds a departed leader and the immense weight of a life whose absence will be felt for generations. We meet to honour a man whose presence once commanded this very room, whose voice once summoned the best in us, and whose convictions never bowed, even to the strongest winds of public opinion.
“President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, former Head of State and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has gone to rest.
“He was first among soldiers in war, first among citizens in peace, and first, without ambition or flattery, in the hearts of his fellow citizens. Yet it was in the quiet and unadorned settings of his private life that his true greatness was revealed: pious without show, just without cruelty, humane without sentimentality, temperate without coldness, and sincere without guile.
“Steady in posture and spirit, dignified in bearing, and commanding by his very presence, his example guided all who encountered him. Still, it endures.
“To his peers, he was respectful and without pretence. To those who served under him, he was kind without condescension. And, to those whom he loved most intimately, he was unfailingly tender, loyal, and good. His life was a rebuke to vice and a refuge for virtue.
“The purity of his private character gave radiance to the discipline and integrity of his public service.
“Even in death, he maintained the serenity that defined him in life: not a sigh, not a groan, just a quiet submission to the will of God. Such was the man Nigeria has lost. Such was the man for whom our nation now mourns.
“President Buhari’s life was one of austere honour. 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.”
President Tinubu said that the late Buhari’s life was a quiet courage, a righteousness that never announced itself, adding, “His patriotism was lived more in action than in words.”
While acknowledging the services of the late President to the country, Tinubu said: “His life traced the arc of Nigeria’s journey. Born before independence, he became a young soldier in the struggle to keep our nation whole. In war and in peace, he served with vigilance and determination, as if the task of watching over Nigeria had been assigned to him alone.
“From the battlefield to the corridors of power, he remained faithful to the task. He governed the North-Eastern State and stood as Head of State.
“Years later, he returned to chair the Petroleum Trust Fund, which he administered with Spartan rigour and complete fidelity to the public good.”
Tinubu also recognized the role played by Buhari in the present government under the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
He said: “Yet, with all that he had achieved, his most enduring legacy would be carved in democracy. In a time when many had lost hope that change was possible, Muhammadu Buhari put his faith in the people of this country.
“We stood together, he and I. Alongside others drawn from across the political spectrum, regions and tongues, we formed an alliance that enabled Nigeria to experience its first true democratic transfer of power from one ruling party to another. When he was sworn in as our party’s first elected President, he led with restraint, governed with dignity, and bore the burdens of leadership without complaint.
“Those who knew him most intimately understood that the authority of that exalted office never changed him. In the face of pressure, he remained calm. In the face of crisis, he remained resolute. In the face of triumph, he remained modest. Most remarkably, he retained his jovial spirit.”
Buhari, he further stated left the scene when his administration came to an end without in any way interfering in any form.
“When his tenure ended, he returned to Daura; not to command from the shadows or to hold court, but to live as he always had, never seeking to impose his will but content to let others carry the nation forward.
“President Buhari was not a perfect man – no leader is – but he was, in every sense of the word, a good man, a decent man, an honourable man. His record will be debated, as all legacies are, but the character he brought to public life, the moral force he carried, the incorruptible standard he represented, will not be forgotten. His was a life lived in full service to Nigeria, and in fidelity to God.
“Now, he rests. And we who remain must carry the memory of his life as a standard to guide us. Let us honour him not only with words, but with humility in power, discipline in service, compassion in governance, and fearlessness in the pursuit of justice.
“On Tuesday, July 15, 2025, a grateful nation bid farewell to one of her most illustrious sons. It was a profound honour for me, alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima, to lead his funeral procession to Daura and witness his burial in the dignified manner befitting a great and noble leader.
“In this period of national mourning, I once again extend my heartfelt condolences to Hajia Aisha Buhari, her children, the entire Buhari family, the government and people of Katsina State, and all who knew and loved him. Our gratitude will remain with President Buhari’s family members who provided him with the comfort and strength to serve our nation in various capacities throughout his over 50 years of public service. We honour his service, reflect on his legacy, and pray for the peaceful repose of his soul.
“Mai Gaskiya, The People’s general, the Farmer President – your duty is done.”
In his tribute, the President of Senate, Godswill Akpabio, described the late president as a principled leader who stood for honour over popularity.
“President Buhari was not perfect. No leader is. But he was principled. Where others sought glory, he sought duty,” Akpabio said. “He walked, with steadiness and often in solitude, along the ridge of national conscience. His toughness was born not of pride, but of patriotism.”
Akpabio, who served as Minister under Buhari, praised his former boss as a “sentinel of Spartan simplicity” and “a Nigerian whose loyalty to this nation was never up for sale.”
“As a minister in his cabinet, appointed by him, I saw President Buhari unplugged. He was not flamboyant—far from it. His voice was measured. His steps, deliberate.
“His public demeanor, austere. But beneath that calm exterior beat the heart of a patriot—unyielding, unbending, and utterly uninterested in personal comfort when duty called.”
On his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas said: “President Buhari was no ordinary figure in our national journey. He embodied quiet strength, moral clarity and an unshakable sense of duty.
“At a time when society was seduced by materialism, he chose a life of modest
means and meaningful service. He was devoted to family and steadfast in his
Islamic faith. His humour and humility softened his disciplined exterior.
“Buhari’s belief in the brevity of life and the certainty of judgment shaped his ascetic lifestyle and guided his public conduct. He lived not for applause or affluence but for principle, for country and for the cause of a better Nigeria.
To me, he was more than a leader. He was a mentor, a moral compass and a
source of guidance.”
Other people that delivered tribute at the session were the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Didi Walson Jack, the Governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodimma, the Ministers of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Budget and Economic Planning, Solid Minerals Development, Health, Works and Women Affairs, Festus Keyamo, Atiku Abubakar, Dele Alake, Alli Pate, Senator Dave Umahi and Hajia Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim respectively.
The son of the late President, Yusuf Muhammadu Buhari, who attended the session alongside his siblings thanked President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and the wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima.
He also thanked the leadership of the National Assembly, the Service Chiefs and members of the Federal Executive Council for the honour done his father.
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