Senate President Godswill Akpabio has described the late former President Muhammadu Buhari as a disciplined and incorruptible leader who served Nigeria without embezzling public funds.
Akpabio made the remarks during a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) session held in Abuja on Thursday to honour the memory of Buhari, who passed away on Sunday in a London clinic at the age of 82.
According to him, Buhari’s legacy of integrity and discipline remains undeniable, even among his staunchest critics.
And 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.
His toughness was born not out of pride but of a patriotism, a fierce, unrelenting belief that Nigeria, with all its challenges, was still worth fighting for. And yet some disagree with him.
That is the nature of democracy. But even his fiercest critics will admit that he did not pilfer the nation’s boss, nor pander to its pleasures to the very end.
The event was attended by National Assembly leaders, ministers, governors, and members of Buhari’s family, including his son, Yusuf.
Akpabio further noted that Buhari was a leader who pursued service, not recognition, and stood firm in the face of adversity.
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.
Buhari, who had earlier served as Nigeria’s military head of state, was elected as a civilian president in 2015 and led the country until 2023.
