Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, CON
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.
