Farewell to a soldier who never left the battlefield

BY UMARU TANKO AL-MAKURA

It is with a heart weighted by grief yet steadied by gratitude that I pay tribute to a man whose life was a study in discipline, duty, and devotion—President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.

His passing, though it came quietly, echoes loudly across the conscience of a nation he loved with every fibre of his being. In mourning him, Nigeria mourns a sentinel of our collective identity—a leader who embodied the stern, clear-eyed dignity of the Republic’s enduring dream.

As the only governor ever elected under the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a party he founded with singular vision and unmatched integrity, I stand as both witness and beneficiary of his unwavering mentorship.

Ours was not merely a political association—it was a bond forged in the crucible of reform, nurtured by a shared hunger for a just Nigeria, and anchored in mutual respect.

President Buhari was a man of few words, but when he spoke, his counsel rang with clarity, conviction, and purpose.

He taught many of us—by example, more than instruction—the art of restraint in power, the necessity of sacrifice, and the virtue of silence in a world addicted to noise. His discipline was legendary. His ascetic lifestyle, even while in the highest office of the land, reminded us that service is not indulgence but sacrifice.

In every meeting, he sat not as a demigod presiding over men, but as a soldier taking stock of the mission still ahead.

The General was never one to dodge a difficult path. Whether in uniform or in civilian garb, he bore his duties like a sacred oath. His fight against corruption was not cosmetic—it was sincere, if not always understood.

He sought to steady a nation buffeted by decades of rot, and though perfection eluded us all, his intentions were pure, his methods austere, and his loyalty to Nigeria never in question. In a time of moral drift, he stood still—and tall.

To Africa, he was a calming force. To the world, he was Nigeria’s moral compass. In every global forum, his presence exuded quiet strength—the kind that speaks not in boasts but in the slow, steady language of principle. Whether resisting foreign pressure or calming domestic tempests, he carried with him an authority earned, not assumed.

To me, he was a father figure—a stern mentor who, through storm and sunshine, insisted that Nigeria must come first. His rebuke, when it came, was cleansing. His praise, when earned, was quietly offered but deeply felt.

It was he who called me to higher service, who insisted that power must serve, not seduce. And in his departure, I feel not only the loss of a leader but also the passing of a moral compass.

Today, as we bow in mourning, let us also rise in remembrance. For the statesman who walked with kings but never lost the common touch. For the patriot who bore Nigeria’s scars with stoic dignity.

For the soldier who never once left the battlefield of conscience and country. President Muhammadu Buhari may have laid down his arms, but the values he lived for must remain our enduring standard.

Farewell, Baba. Your duty is done. Your nation will not forget. And those of us you mentored will not falter.

Umaru Tanko Al-Makura is a former governor of Nasarawa State and one of the foundational pillars of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).