President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday, delivered a stirring tribute to his predecessor, the late President Muhammadu Buhari, at a special session of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) convened in his honour at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
With members of the Council, dignitaries, and Buhari’s family members present, Tinubu described the late statesman as a leader defined by integrity, discipline, and a deep, quiet patriotism that shaped Nigeria’s history across military and democratic eras.
“President Buhari 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,” Tinubu said, in a solemn voice that captured the emotional weight of the moment.
He eulogised Buhari as a soldier, a patriot, and a democratic reformer whose legacy would long outlive him.
“His life was a rebuke to vice and a refuge for virtue,” Tinubu said.
“He was pious without show, just without cruelty, humane without sentimentality.”
The President recalled their partnership, political journey, and shared vision for Nigeria, stressing that Buhari never wavered in his commitment to good governance — even under the heaviest burdens of office.
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“In the face of pressure, he remained calm. In the face of crises, he remained resolute. In the face of triumph, he remained modest,” Tinubu said.
He noted that even in retirement, Buhari lived with the same simplicity and restraint that marked his life in power — never seeking to manipulate events from behind the scenes, but allowing the country to move forward under new leadership.
The special FEC session was one of several national mourning events following Buhari’s death in London and burial on Tuesday in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State.
President Tinubu joined Vice President Kashim Shettima and a host of dignitaries to receive the former president’s remains and accompany them to his final resting place.
Flags continue to fly at half-staff nationwide, as Nigeria honours a man Tinubu described as “first among soldiers in war, first among citizens in peace.”