Senate President Godswill Akpabio has paid glowing tribute to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a disciplined and patriotic leader who served Nigeria with integrity and left office without looting the nation’s treasury.
Akpabio made the remarks on Thursday during an expanded Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held in Abuja to honour the late statesman, who died on Sunday in London at the age of 82 after a brief illness.
Addressing top government officials, lawmakers, and family members of the late President, Akpabio emphasized Buhari’s unwavering commitment to national service and discipline.
“Let us be honest, he was tough. He was a soldier who did not flinch under fire, a leader who did not flee from responsibility, and above all, a Nigerian whose loyalty to this nation was never up for sale,” Akpabio said.
He acknowledged that while Buhari had his critics, even they would agree that he maintained financial integrity while in office.
“Even his fiercest critics will admit that he did not pilfer the nation’s purse, nor pander to its pleasures to the very end,” he added.
Akpabio, a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, praised Buhari’s legacy of discipline and principled leadership, noting that he sought duty over glory and left a lasting imprint on Nigeria’s political landscape.
“President Buhari did not merely pass through the corridors of power; he left his boots and imprints in them. He believed that discipline mattered, that integrity mattered, that leadership, even when lonely, must be anchored on something greater than power,” he said.
Also in attendance at the special session were members of the National Assembly, serving ministers, state governors, and Buhari’s family members led by his son, Yusuf.
Muhammadu Buhari served as Nigeria’s military Head of State from 1983 to 1985 and as a democratically elected President from 2015 to 2023. He was buried in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State.
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