President Bola Tinubu, yesterday in Abuja, renamed the University of Maiduguri after the late former President Muhammadu Buhari as part of initiatives to immortalise him.
Tinubu disclosed the rechristening at the expanded Federal Executive Council Session held in honour of Buhari at State House, Abuja. He said the university was renamed as a mark of honour for the former president in recognition of his contributions to education and national development, particularly in the North-east.
He stated that the university’s new name would be a lasting legacy to commemorate Buhari’s impact on Nigeria’s history.
The president, in an emotion-laden tribute, hailed Buhari’s devotion to Nigeria, saying his “patriotism lived more in actions than in words”.
Tinubu arrived the Council Chambers, where majority of the cabinet members and the leadership of the National Assembly were already seated, about 5:25pm for the memorial session.
Tinubu stated, “Today, we gather under a heavy shadow, drawn from the silence that surrounds a departed leader and the immense weight of a life whose absence will be felt for generations.
“We meet to honour a man whose presence once commanded this very room, whose voice once summoned the best in us, and whose convictions never bowed, even to the strongest winds of public opinion.
“President Muhammadu Buhari, former Head of State and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has gone to rest. 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.”
The president added, “Steady in posture and spirit, dignified in bearing, and commanding by his very presence, his example guided all who encountered him. Still, it endures.
“To his peers, he was respectful and without pretence. To those who served under him, he was kind without condescension. And, to those whom he loved most intimately, he was unfailingly tender, loyal, and good. His life was a rebuke to vice and a refuge for virtue.
“The purity of his private character gave radiance to the discipline and integrity of his public service. 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, “President Buhari’s life was one of austere honour. 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.”
Tinubu said Buhari’s life was a quiet courage, a righteousness that never announced itself, adding that “his patriotism was lived more in action than in words”.
While acknowledging the services of the late president to the nation, Tinubu said, “His life traced the arc of Nigeria’s journey. Born before independence, he became a young soldier in the struggle to keep our nation whole.
“In war and in peace, he served with vigilance and determination, as if the task of watching over Nigeria had been assigned to him alone. From the battlefield to the corridors of power, he remained faithful to the task. He governed the North-Eastern State and stood as Head of State.
“Years later, he returned to chair the Petroleum Trust Fund, which he administered with Spartan rigour and complete fidelity to the public good.”
Tinubu further recognised the role played by Buhari in the present government under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He stated, “Yet, with all that he had achieved, his most enduring legacy would be carved in democracy. In a time when many had lost hope that change was possible, Muhammadu Buhari put his faith in the people of this country.
“We stood together, he and I. Alongside others drawn from across the political spectrum, regions and tongues, 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.
“Those who knew him most intimately understood that the authority of that exalted office never changed him. In the face of pressure, he remained calm. In the face of crisis, he remained resolute. In the face of triumph, he remained modest. Most remarkably, he retained his jovial spirit.”
The president explained that Buhari left the scene when his administration came to an end without any form of interference on his government.
According to him, “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, never seeking to impose his will but content to let others carry the nation forward.
“President Buhari was not a perfect man – no leader is – but he was, in every sense of the word, a good man, a decent man, an honourable man. His record will be debated, as all legacies are, but the character he brought to public life, the moral force he carried, the incorruptible standard he represented, will not be forgotten. His was a life lived in full service to Nigeria, and in fidelity to God.
“Now, he rests. And we who remain must carry the memory of his life as a standard to guide us. 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.”
Tunubu said, “On Tuesday, July 15, 2025, a grateful nation bid farewell to one of her most illustrious sons. It was a profound honour for me, alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima, to lead his funeral procession to Daura and witness his burial in the dignified manner befitting a great and noble leader.
“In this period of national mourning, I once again extend my heartfelt condolences to Hajia Aisha Buhari, her children, the entire Buhari family, the government and people of Katsina State, and all who knew and loved him.
“Our gratitude will remain with President Buhari’s family members who provided him with the comfort and strength to serve our nation in various capacities throughout his over 50 years of public service. We honour his service, reflect on his legacy, and pray for the peaceful repose of his soul.
“Mai Gaskiya, The People’s general, the Farmer President – your duty is done.”
Earlier, President of Senate, Godswill Akpabio, described the late president as a principled leader who stood for honour over popularity.
Akpabio said, “President Buhari was not perfect. No leader is. But he was principled. Where others sought glory, he sought duty. He walked, with steadiness and often in solitude, along the ridge of national conscience. His toughness was born not of pride, but of patriotism.”
Akpabio, who served as Niger Delta Affairs Minister under Buhari, praised his former boss as a “sentinel of Spartan simplicity” and “a Nigerian whose loyalty to this nation was never up for sale”.
The senate president stated, “As a minister in his cabinet, appointed by him, I saw President Buhari unplugged. He was not flamboyant—far from it. His voice was measured. His steps, deliberate.
“His public demeanour, austere. But beneath that calm exterior beat the heart of a patriot—unyielding, unbending, and utterly uninterested in personal comfort when duty called.”
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas said, “President Buhari was no ordinary figure in our national journey. He embodied quiet strength, moral clarity and an unshakable sense of duty.
“At a time when society was seduced by materialism, he chose a life of modest means and meaningful service. He was devoted to family and steadfast in his Islamic faith. His humour and humility softened his disciplined exterior.
“Buhari’s belief in the brevity of life and the certainty of judgment shaped his ascetic lifestyle and guided his public conduct. He lived not for applause or affluence but for principle, for country and for the cause of a better Nigeria. To me, he was more than a leader. He was a mentor, a moral compass and a source of guidance.”
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, said Buhari was a man of integrity served Nigeria without blemish.
Keyamo, who served as Minister of State under Buhari, said his former boss led by example and was a moral and ethical compass in governance.
Keyamo said, “One consensus in the midst of these different emotions, opinions and reactions from friends, foes and associates alike is that President Muhammadu Buhari served this country completely unblemished. Whether you choose to judge him harshly or kindly, the general consensus is that he embodied honesty and integrity in public office.
“He was a president who led by example, who walked the talk, who inspired integrity, uncompromising transparency and accountability in public office. He was a moral and ethical compass in governance.
“He served this country with a good conscience, the fear of God and extraordinary discipline. In my immediate reaction after his death, I wrote that ‘they don’t make them like him anymore; not given to the primitive acquisition of unearned wealth, frugal in living, austere in lifestyle, not inclined to showboating and incredibly honest to the core.”
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said Buhari left a legacy of service and dedication to the pristine values of discipline, hard work, and honesty.
Pate said, “In no small measure, the outpouring of eulogies from leaders across the world attests to former President Buhari’s stature as a significant and well-respected leader. He lived an eventful life hedged around sacred principles. He lived and died an honourable man.
“It was deeply stirring to see hundreds of people withstand hours of heat on the roadsides — from Katsina to Daura — to say their goodbyes to Mai Gaskiya.
“But there seems to be a very small but vocal minority who, despite the solemnity of the occasion, has tried to diminish the place of President Buhari in the pantheon of Nigeria’s remarkable leaders. To those on this foolhardy pursuit, I say, as the pages of Nigeria’s history are written in the future, President Buhari’s name will remain indelible.”
The minister added, “To those, who are concerned about extracting political tolls from President Buhari’s passing, I suggest they should rather take lessons of leadership from his life – a man who rose from humble beginnings, spent his life in service of the motherland, embodying uncommon integrity and earning the love and admiration of his people.”
Son of the deceased, Yusuf Muhammadu Buhari, who attended the session alongside three of his sisters, thanked Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, wife of the president, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and the wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima.
He also appreciated the leadership of the National Assembly, the service chiefs, members of the Federal Executive Council, and the nation, at large, for the honour done his father and family, including condolence messages and visits.
Other dignitaries that delivered tributes at the session included Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Didi Walson Jack; Ministers of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake; Works, Senator Dave Umahi; and Women Affairs, Hajia Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim
