President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday paid glowing tribute to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a leader who was “unmoved by the temptation of power” and “unseduced by applause,” yet guided by a quiet courage and moral clarity that defined his time in public service.
Speaking during a special session of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja in honour of the departed statesman, President Tinubu reflected on Buhari’s austere integrity, firm convictions, and enduring patriotism.
“Today, we gather under a heavy shadow, drawn from the silence surrounding a departed leader and from the immense weight of a life whose absence will be felt for generations,” Tinubu told the Council Chamber, once presided over by Buhari himself.
“We meet to honour a man whose presence once commanded this room, whose voice summoned the best in us, and whose convictions never bowed, even to the strongest winds of public opinion.”
The President hailed Buhari’s moral strength, noting that he remained resolute even when popularity or political convenience might have swayed others.
“President Buhari’s life was one of austere honour. He stood always ramrod—unmoved by the temptation of power, unseduced by applause, and unafraid of the loneliness that sometimes comes to those who do what is right rather than what is popular,” Tinubu said.
He continued, “His was quiet courage—a righteousness that never announced itself. His patriotism was lived more in action than in words.”
Tinubu praised Buhari as a soldier and statesman whose personal conduct reflected humility and discipline. “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 in his private life’s quiet and unadorned settings, his most real greatness was revealed: pious without show, just without cruelty, humane without sentimentality, temperate without coldness, and sincere without guile.”
The President also recalled their political journey together, highlighting Buhari’s critical role in Nigeria’s democratic history.
“We stood together, he and I. Alongside others drawn from across the political spectrum, various regions, and different languages, we formed an alliance that enabled Nigeria to experience its first true democratic transfer of power from one ruling party to another,” he said. “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.”
While acknowledging that Buhari, like any leader, was not perfect, Tinubu said he was “in every sense of the word, a good man, a decent man, an honourable man.”
“Nigerians and the world will debate his record, as all legacies are. Still, the character he brought to public life, the moral force he carried, and the incorruptible standard he represented will not be forgotten. “His life was dedicated to serving Nigeria and Allah,” Tinubu affirmed.
The special FEC session was part of ongoing national tributes following the death of Buhari on July 13, 2025, in London. He was buried in his Daura residence in Katsina State in accordance with Islamic rites on Tuesday.
The former leader, who served Nigeria as Head of State from 1984 to 1985 and later as a democratically elected President from 2015 to 2023, is being remembered across the country and beyond for his unwavering commitment to discipline, public integrity, and national unity.
