President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday lauded former President Muhammadu Buhari, highlighting his unwavering character in the face of political pressures.
Speaking at a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) session at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to honour the late leader, Tinubu described Buhari as a statesman who remained “unmoved by the temptation of power” and “unseduced by applause.”
Tinubu emphasised that Buhari’s leadership was guided by a “quiet courage and moral clarity” that characterised his entire public service.
He said: “Today, we gather under a heavy shadow, drawn from the silence surrounding a departed leader and from the immense weight of a life whose absence will be felt for generations.
“We meet to honour a man whose presence once commanded this room, whose voice summoned the best in us, and whose convictions never bowed, even to the strongest winds of public opinion.
“President Buhari’s life was one of austere honour. He stood always ramrod—unmoved by the temptation of power, unseduced by applause, and unafraid of the loneliness that sometimes comes to those who do what is right rather than what is popular
“His was quiet courage—a righteousness that never announced itself. His patriotism was lived more in action than in words.
“He was first among soldiers in war, first among citizens in peace, and first, without ambition or flattery, in the hearts of his fellow citizens.
“Yet in his private life’s quiet and unadorned settings, his most real greatness was revealed: pious without show, just without cruelty, humane without sentimentality, temperate without coldness, and sincere without guile.”
“We stood together, he and I. Alongside others drawn from across the political spectrum, various regions, and different languages, we formed an alliance that enabled Nigeria to experience its first true democratic transfer of power from one ruling party to another.
“When he was sworn in as our party’s first elected President, he led with restraint, governed with dignity, and bore the burdens of leadership without complaint.
“Nigerians and the world will debate his record, as all legacies are. Still, the character he brought to public life, the moral force he carried, and the incorruptible standard he represented will not be forgotten. “His life was dedicated to serving Nigeria and Allah.”
