…Says, Buhari’s absence would be felt by generations President Bola Tinubu, in Abuja on Thursday, July 17, 2025 renamed the 50-year-old University of Maiduguri Muhammadu Buhari University in honour of the late former President.
Tinubu, who announced this when he led members of his cabinet including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, two state governors, and the Head of Service in a solemn tribute eulogised the late former President Buhari for his patriotism, unshakable convictions, forthrightness, and sincerity in his tribute.
The ceremony at a special session of the Federal Executive Council honoured the eighth Nigerian leader—a civil war hero, a former military head of state, and an anti-corruption advocate —who passed away on July 13, leaving a legacy of discipline and patriotism.
Tinubu, who opened the floodgates of tributes in the presence of the departed leader’s children, said that generations would feel the absence of a leader whose presence had stirred their convictions.
The President praised Buhari as a fearless defender of the unity of the nation with a unique leadership style, as well as a character defined by discipline, sincerity and unwavering display of compassion.
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,” he enthused.
Tinubu affirmed that Buhari’s leadership qualities and unimpeachable integrity endeared him to many, from his chosen career as a military man to the administrative and political positions he held, culminating in his headship of the country in uniform and as a democrat.
He further said; “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.
“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.
“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,” he said.
President Tinubu urged Nigerians to be guided by the late President Buhari’s life of humility, moral rectitude, incorruptibility, and compassion.
“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 life was lived in full service to Nigeria, and in fidelity to God,” he said.
In his own tribute, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the late President Buhari as a very principled man who, although not perfect, was good and utterly uninterested in personal comfort, prioritising duty above all else.
Akpabio said; “Buhari is remembered as a man who gave everything he had to a country that asked everything of him. His life reflected basic simplicity and integrity, reminding that goodness is not always loud and that history applauds those who live for legacy over fame”.
Speaking in turn, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, described the late President as a man whose life and legacy are deeply woven into the fabric of our nation.
According to him; “President Buhari was not an 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 modesty and service. He was devoted to family and steadfast in his Islamic faith”.
In his own remarks, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, highlighted the late President’s legacies, describing him as a patriot, statesman, and devoted servant of the Nigerian people.
Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, said Buhari’s life was defined by unwavering faith and integrity, calling on Nigerians to reflect and reignite our hope in a greater tomorrow.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, the Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Suliaman-Ibrahim, and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, also delivered tributes.
Yusuf Buhari, the son of the late President, expressed the family’s gratitude to Nigerians from all walks of life, including members of the diplomatic community, for the honour bestowed on his father in death.
Yusuf Buhari commended President Tinubu, Vice President Shettima, and their wives for the outstanding support received by the family from the time their father fell ill until his departure on Sunday, July 13, 2025.
“It showed that he was regarded far more than a politician, but regarded as a friend and a father to all,” Yusuf Buhari said.
