TRIBUTE TO PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI, GCFR
By Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, CON
With a deeply heavy heart and profound sense of personal loss, I join millions of Nigerians and friends around the world to mourn the passing of our former President, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.
I extend my heartfelt condolences to his beloved wife, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, his children, and his entire extended family. I also condole with the government and people of Katsina State, especially the Daura Emirate, where President Buhari’s journey in life began — a town whose name has become inextricably linked with his legacy.
President Buhari’s record of service to Nigeria is almost unparalleled. From the battlefield to the ballot box, he stood as a sentinel of duty. As a military officer, Head of State, and twice-elected President, he offered over five decades of his life to the service of our nation in times of strife and in peaceful times — guided always by a belief in discipline, integrity, and nationhood.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆: 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗛𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀; 𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.
𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗜 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 — 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗜𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲.
𝗛𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗹𝘀𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗮𝗿 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.
I feel privileged to have served in his cabinet — first in the consolidated Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, and later in the restructured Ministry of Works and Housing.
President Buhari was not a man to micromanage; instead, he gave you the space and the trust to deliver. With that trust, however, came the highest expectations of discipline, results, and honesty.
He had a quiet strength. Yet, within and outside the cabinet, I witnessed his compassion — his deep concern for the poor, the pensioner, the soldier in the trenches, the almajiri child, and the underserved in every part of this country.
Under his leadership, the nation confronted formidable challenges: insurgency, economic volatility, a global pandemic, and deep political tension. Yet he remained consistent — never ruled by noise or poll ratings, only by the burden of responsibility and his belief in posterity’s judgment.
His death marks the end of a defining chapter in Nigeria’s journey — one marked by sacrifice, moral authority, and patriotic resolve.
But even in death, President Muhammadu Buhari leaves behind a living legacy: one of service above self, of discipline without drama, of truth without theatrics.
May the Almighty Allah (SWT), whom he served with devotion and humility, forgive his shortcomings and grant him eternal rest in Aljannah Firdaus.
Adieu, Mai Gaskiya, as you were fondly referred to.
Nigeria salutes you.
Signed,
Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN CON
July 13, 2025
