Nigeria is in mourning following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, with tributes pouring in from across the nation. One of the most poignant came from Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who described the late president as “a statesman who occupied a unique place in the psyche and history of a country he loved and served for over sixty years.”
In a heartfelt statement issued Wednesday, Gbajabiamila said he received the news of President Buhari’s death with “a profound sense of bereavement and a consciousness of a loss too deep for words.” He described Buhari as a friend and father figure whose integrity, tenacity, and love for Nigeria defined his decades-long public service.
Reflecting on their working relationship, Gbajabiamila recalled Buhari’s unwavering support during his tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives. He praised the former president’s loyalty and dedication to national interest during a period of political turbulence in the National Assembly. According to Gbajabiamila, Buhari’s intervention helped preserve legislative stability and foster policy innovation in the 9th Assembly.
“Only the national interest mattered to him,” Gbajabiamila wrote. “As long as I continued to serve that interest, I would have his support. As was his nature, he remained true to his word.”
Acknowledging Buhari’s human flaws, Gbajabiamila said the former president’s life should be remembered not only for its mistakes but for his dignity, honour, and deep patriotism. “He was a fine soldier and statesman who loved his country passionately,” he said.
The Chief of Staff extended his condolences to former First Lady Aisha Buhari, the children, and the extended Buhari family, urging them to find solace in the former president’s accomplishments and legacy.
“To all his friends and supporters across the country,” Gbajabiamila concluded, “let us continue the work of serving our nation so that… we may achieve the cause of a nation at peace, prosperous beyond our wildest dreams. This is the highest tribute we can pay to the lanky general and great statesman of our country.”
He prayed that Allah grants the late president Aljannah Firdaus and comforts his family.
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