Elder statesman and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), has described the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari as a touching and saddening loss for Nigeria.
In a tribute titled “Major General Muhammadu Buhari: The Exit of a Titan” released on Tuesday, July 15, Babalola hailed Buhari as “one of Nigeria’s most illustrious sons, a patriot of the rarest breed, a soldier of Spartan discipline and a statesman of remarkable moral conviction.”
He said Buhari’s life was “a long journey of service, sacrifice, and unwavering fidelity to the Nigerian project.”
Reflecting on Buhari’s stint as military head of state, Babalola noted that he “confronted head-on the culture of lawlessness and indiscipline” and praised the War Against Indiscipline campaign as one of his most enduring legacies.
As civilian president from 2015 to 2023, Babalola said Buhari “led the nation through difficult economic and security challenges with characteristic stoicism” while prioritising “infrastructural renewal, anti-corruption, food security and the rejuvenation of Nigeria’s global diplomatic profile.”
“In all of this, he maintained his simplicity and incorruptibility, a rare hallmark in the corridors of power,” he added.
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Recalling Buhari’s conduct during the 2003 election tribunal where Babalola represented then President Olusegun Obasanjo, he said,
“He was always the first person to arrive in court and the last to depart… a clear reflection of his sincere commitment to the rule of law and due process.”
“At the end of each day’s proceedings, he would leave his seat to shake hands with me, not minding that I was representing the other party in the case before the tribunal,” he said.
Babalola added, “That kind of devotion, displayed by a former military head of state submitting himself to judicial scrutiny with patience and dignity, was not only unexpected but profoundly inspiring.”
He admitted Buhari was not perfect, but praised his clarity of purpose. “President Buhari was not perfect, no leader is, but what stood out was the clarity of his intentions and the sincerity of his convictions,” he said.
“He was a nationalist in word and deed, whose life was lived in steadfast commitment to the unity, security, and moral compass of our great nation.”
He extended condolences to the Buhari family, the Daura Emirate, and the people of Katsina State, praying for comfort and strength.