Tinubu honours Buhari by renaming UNIMAID as FEC pays glowing tributes

Tinubu honours Buhari by renaming UNIMAID as FEC pays glowing tributes

President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, announced the renaming of the University of Maiduguri in honour of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he praised as “a good man, a decent man, an honourable man” whose values of discipline, patriotism, and integrity will continue to guide future generations.

Speaking during a Special Session of the Federal Executive Council held in Buhari’s honour at the State House in Abuja, Tinubu acknowledged that while the former president was not without faults, his dedication to Nigeria remained unwavering.

“President Buhari was not a perfect man—no leader is—but he was, in every sense, a good, decent, and honourable man,” Tinubu said.

“His legacy will be debated, as all legacies are, but the integrity he brought to public service, the moral force he embodied, and the incorruptible standards he upheld will endure.”

He added that Buhari lived a life wholly devoted to the service of Nigeria and in loyalty to God.

Urging his cabinet members to lead with the same discipline, moral clarity, and restraint that defined Buhari’s leadership, Tinubu described his predecessor’s passing as the conclusion of a life of duty.

“Mai Gaskiya, the people’s general, the farmer president—your duty is done,” he declared.

Thursday’s expanded session is the first special FEC convened in Tinubu’s administration.

Tinubu framed the moment as more than a ceremony, saying, “Let us honour him not only with words, but with humility in power, discipline in service, compassion in governance, and fearlessness in the pursuit of justice.”

He said Buhari’s private rectitude had illuminated his public life.

“The purity of his private character gave radiance to the discipline and integrity of his public service.

“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 it was in the quiet and unadorned settings of his private life that his true greatness was revealed: pious without show, just without cruelty, humane without sentimentality, temperate without coldness, and sincere without guile,” Tinubu added.

Recalling their long political partnership, Tinubu reminded colleagues that he and Buhari “stood together…alongside others drawn from across the political spectrum” to unite opposition forces and deliver “our country’s first true democratic transfer of power” when Buhari defeated incumbent Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

He described Buhari’s low-profile retirement as an act of democratic restraint in a region where ex-leaders often remain kingmakers.

“When his tenure ended, he returned to Daura; not to command from the shadows or to hold court, but to live as he always had.

“Even in death, he maintained the serenity that defined him in life: not a sigh, not a groan, just a quiet submission to the will of God. Such was the man Nigeria has lost. Such was the man for whom our nation now mourns,” Tinubu said.

Reflecting on Buhari’s time in office and his long military and civil service, Tinubu praised the late leader’s simplicity, humility, and stoic resistance to the trappings of power.

He said, “He stood, always, ramrod straight; unmoved by the temptation of power, unseduced by applause and unafraid of the loneliness that often visits those who do what is right, rather than what is popular.

“His was a quiet courage, a righteousness that never announced itself. His patriotism was lived more in action than in words.”

Tinubu thanked the Inter-Ministerial Committee and Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, for organising a befitting state funeral within 48 hours, describing it as a “profound honour” to lead the burial procession in Daura.

He concluded his tribute with a prayer: “Mai Gaskiya, the People’s General, the Farmer President, your duty is done. May Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljannah Firdaus. May his life continue to inspire generations of Nigerians to serve with courage, conviction, and selflessness. President Buhari, thank you. Nigeria will remember you.”

At the close of the session, President Tinubu approved the renaming of the 50-year-old University of Maiduguri, Borno State, as the Muhammadu Buhari University.

“May we now adopt the renaming of the University of Maduguri as the Muhammadu Buhari University,” Tinubu said.

Buhari, 82, died in a London hospital on July 13 after a prolonged illness, his family announced.

His remains were flown to Katsina on July 15 and taken on to his hometown of Daura, where he was buried under Islamic rites. Tinubu declared seven days of national mourning and ordered flags flown at half-mast nationwide.

Other tributes scheduled after Tinubu’s remarks came from Senate President Godswill Akpabio; House Speaker Abbas Tajudeen; Chief Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun; Governors Forum chair, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; and ministers Festus Keyamo, Atiku Bagudu, Ali Pate, Dele Alake, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim and David Umahi, before Yusuf Buhari spoke for the family.

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, echoed Tinubu’s earlier remarks, saying, “Like all of us, Muhammadu Buhari was not infallible. Over the course of his decades in the public eye, he made his mistakes and his imperfections were inevitably magnified by being in full view.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, expressed deep gratitude to the late President Muhammadu Buhari for the opportunity to serve as Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and as Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

“I had the privilege of leading the national fight against human trafficking. His unwavering support helped move Nigeria from the U.S. Tier 2 Watchlist to Tier 2 — a critical achievement that prevented sanctions and restored our international reputation,” she said.

She recalled Buhari’s personal concern for displaced persons, highlighting his efforts in ensuring the passage of the NCFRMI Act of 2022 — a bill that had faced eight failed attempts over 14 years under previous administrations.

“This was a historic breakthrough that gave legal recognition and institutional hope to millions of refugees, migrants, and IDPs across the country,” she added.

Yusuf Buhari, son of the late president, also thanked Nigerians from all walks of life, including members of the diplomatic community, for the honours and tributes paid to his father.

He specifically acknowledged President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and their spouses for the immense support shown to the family from the moment Buhari took ill until his passing on Sunday, July 13, 2025.

“It is clear he was seen not just as a politician, but as a friend and a father figure to many,” Yusuf said.

Tributes were also delivered by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan.