Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has expressed sorrow over the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, calling him “a father figure, a soldier of honour, and a towering statesman.”
In a tribute titled “Tribute to a Statesman”, Gbajabiamila said the news of Buhari’s passing left him with “a profound sense of bereavement and a consciousness of a loss that is too deep for words.”
He described Buhari as “a man of dignity and integrity, steadfast in his resolve and tenacious in his determination to follow through on the commitments he made, whether to himself or his associates, family or our nation.”
Gbajabiamila, who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives while Buhari was president, recounted how the former leader stood by him when political pressures mounted.
“When these machinations became a distraction and I went to him, he assured me that only the national interests mattered to him and that as long as I continued to serve that interest, I would have his support,” he said. “As was his nature, he remained true to his word and thoroughly resisted those attempts to sabotage the House.”
He said Buhari’s backing helped the 9th National Assembly maintain stability and focus. “This, too, is his legacy, and it is a worthy legacy indeed,” Gbajabiamila noted.
Acknowledging Buhari’s flaws, he added, “Like all of us, Muhammadu Buhari was not infallible… Yet, despite his mistakes, one thing was always certain: he was an honourable and dignified man, a fine soldier and statesman who loved his country passionately.”
He extended condolences to Aisha Buhari and the family, saying, “I urge them to be consoled by the profound accomplishments of President Buhari’s life, and the lessons of tenacity, dignity and grace that he embodied throughout his journey here on earth.”
Gbajabiamila urged Nigerians to carry on with the task of building the country, “This is the highest tribute we can pay to the lanky general and great statesman of our country.”
He ended the message with a prayer, “May Allah grant him Aljannah Firdaus and comfort his family now and forever.”
