- Safiu Kehinde
President Bola Tinubu has on Thursday hailed late former President Muhammadu Buhari for his incorruptible character and leadership.
NPO Reported the demise of the late former President who passed away on Sunday with a state burial held at his residence in Daura, Katsina State, on Tuesday.
Tinubu had, in the wake of his death, declared a seven-day national mourning while also announcing the holding special Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting in honour of his predecessor.
The meeting, initially slated to hold on Tuesday, was postponed was postponed for the burial of the late ex-President.
Leading the tributes at the expanded FEC Meeting which also had family members of the late former President in attendance, Tinubu reminisced on Buhari’s lifetime.
The President recounted his predecessor’s military and democratic leadership which were defined by his discipline and integrity.
“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.
“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.
“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.” Tinubu said.
The President further recalled his relationship and political alliance wit the late former President which saw him emerge as the first President-elect under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
His leadership, according to Tinubu was defined by courage, dignity, and perseverance.
“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.
“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.” He continued.
However, the President admitted to the flaws of his predecessor but noted that he was a good and decent man with an incorruptible character that will never be forgotten.
“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.” He said.
Tinubu charged current leaders to honour the late former President not only in words but by emulating his humility in power, discipline in service, compassion in governance, and fearlessness in the pursuit of justice.
He expressed his gratitude to the Inter-Ministerial Committee, led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and Governor Dikko Radda, for organising a befitting State Funeral within 48 hours.
Tinubu further extended his condolences to former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, her children, the entire Buhari family, as well as the government and people of Katsina State.
Meanwhile, present at the meeting were state governors, some members of the National Assembly led by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass; and family members of the late former President led by his son, Yusuf Buhari.