Former interim national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ex-Governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, has described the late former President Muhammadu Buhari as “a patriotic leader” and “an angel in human flesh,” whose legacy would remain in the hearts of Nigerians.
Akande made the remarks yesterday in Kaduna when he led a delegation of political associates on a condolence visit to the family of the late president.
Speaking emotionally about the loss, the elder statesman recounted his last encounter with Buhari in Daura, noting that there were no signs of declining health.
“I first heard of his death while I was abroad. Before then, I had met him in Daura after our feast. He was healthy, strong, and looking robust. We joked about village life. I said I was returning to my village, and he said he too was enjoying Daura,” Akande recalled.
He said the news of the former president’s passing came as a rude shock.
“I didn’t ask questions, and I continued with my trip. But when I was abroad, I learnt that he had passed. It was very painful, very, very painful,” he said.
Upon his return to Nigeria, Akande said he made it a priority to visit the Buhari family in Kaduna to commiserate and pray with them.
The APC chieftain paid glowing tribute to Buhari’s character and leadership, describing him as a rare figure in Nigeria’s political history.
“He was a great Nigerian. He was patriotic. Maybe he was an angel in human flesh. He has done his bit and passed on. But his spirit will continue to live forever because of the good work he did for Nigeria,” he stated.
Akande was accompanied on the condolence visit by Senator Abu Ibrahim, former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, APC stalwart, Alhaji Mahmud Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mr. Silas Agara, and Convener of the Arewa Think Tank, Mohammed Alhaji Yakubu.
The delegation was received by former First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, and the late president’s eldest son, Yusuf Buhari, at the family residence in Kaduna.
In his remarks, Yusuf Buhari expressed the family’s deep appreciation for the visit, describing it as a source of comfort during their time of grief.
“We are grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for standing with us and for giving our father the honour he deserved. We also appreciate all Nigerians for their prayers, kind messages, and visits. The support has been overwhelming, and we do not take it for granted,” he said.
Yusuf assured that the Buhari family would continue to uphold the values of integrity, discipline, and service that the late president represented, while preserving his enduring legacy of patriotism and sacrifice.
