By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
NIGERIA’s SOLEMN tribute to a departed national icon reached its peak on Thursday as President Bola Tinubu announced the renaming of the University of Maiduguri in honour of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Now to be known as Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri, the institution becomes a lasting symbol of the legacy left behind by a man whose austere integrity and lifelong service to the country remain etched in its political history.
The announcement came during an expanded special session of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The tribute was part of a national mourning period following Buhari’s passing in London on July 13, after a prolonged illness.
He was buried in Daura, Katsina State, on July 15 in a ceremony attended by dignitaries from across the country and beyond.
Speaking before ministers, political allies, and members of the late leader’s family, including his son Yusuf Buhari, Tinubu described Buhari as a man defined by restraint in leadership, dignity in governance, and sincerity in private life.
“He was a good man, a decent man, an honourable man,” said Tinubu.
“His record will be debated, as all legacies are, but the character he brought to public life, the moral force he carried, and the incorruptible standard he represented will not be forgotten.”
The former military head of state and two-term civilian president served Nigeria with what Tinubu described as “quiet courage,” standing firm against the temptations of power, applause, and personal gain.
Buhari’s public service began before independence, continuing through civil war and into democratic transition.
From the North-Eastern State governorship to his role as military ruler between 1983 and 1985, and finally as president from 2015 to 2023, his posture remained steadfast, calm in crisis, resolute in principle, and modest in triumph.
Recalling their shared political journey, Tinubu said their alliance transcended party lines, ethnic divisions, and regional interests to achieve Nigeria’s first democratic transition of power between rival political parties.
“We stood together, he and I,” Tinubu said, reflecting on their coalition that brought the All Progressives Congress (APC) to national power in 2015.
“He led with restraint, governed with dignity, and bore the burdens of leadership without complaint.”
As Tinubu paid tribute, he urged present and future leaders to honour Buhari’s memory not with mere words, but with humility in authority, discipline in service, compassion in governance, and fearlessness in pursuing justice.
“Now, he rests,” Tinubu said. “And we who remain must carry the memory of his life as a standard to guide us.”
The late president’s quiet strength resonated most in the private sphere, Tinubu noted, describing Buhari as pious without pretence, humane without sentimentality, and loyal without self-promotion.
“The purity of his private character gave radiance to the discipline and integrity of his public service,” Tinubu added.
On Tuesday, Tinubu led a state funeral procession to Daura alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima and Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda.
The president extended appreciation to the Inter-Ministerial Committee, chaired by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and Governor Radda, for organising the funeral within 48 hours.
Expressing condolences to Hajia Aisha Buhari and the entire Buhari family, Tinubu acknowledged the sacrifices made by those closest to the former leader.
“Our gratitude will remain with President Buhari’s family members who provided him with the comfort and strength to serve our nation,” he said.
