By Obaike Odihue, Abuja
As nation continues to mourn the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, President Bola Tinubu has again poured encomiums on the late leader describing him as a man that had set unmatchable standards in public and private life.
According to Tinubu, though the legacy of the late former President dot the social and political landscape, spanning his professional and political life, the most enduring of them all would be carved in democracy.
President Tinubu spoke while paying tribute to his predecessor in office at a special session of the Federal Executive Council held in honour of late Buhari.
The former President bowed to the cold hands of death in a London hospital on Sunday, July 13, and was given a full national burial in his home town of Daura on Tuesday, July 15.
In his tribute at the special FEC session, Tinubu said of Buhari: “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. His was a quiet courage, a righteousness that never announced itself. His patriotism was lived more in action than in words.
“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.
“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.
According to President Tinubu also, late Buhari did not allow the allure of the presidency and the enormous powers inherent in it to change hom one bit.
He said: “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.
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.”
Accordingly, President Tinubu described Buhari as a good man, since perfection is not attainable by any mortal being. He said, nevertheless, it would not be wrong to say Buhari was a perfect man.
“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”, Tinubu maintained.
Tinubu also said of Buhari: “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.”
The President thanked Buhari’s immediate family for providing him the needed strength and support with which he served Nigeria.
“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.
May Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljannah Firdaus. May his life continue to inspire generations of Nigerians to serve with courage, conviction, and selflessness.
President Buhari, thank you. Nigeria will remember you.”
