Gbajabiamila: Buhari resisted attempts to undermine national assembly

Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff (CoS) to President Bola Tinubu, says the late former President Muhammadu Buhari resisted efforts by political actors to undermine the national assembly during his time in office.

Buhari died on Sunday in a clinic in London, following a prolonged illness. He was buried in the garden of his residence in Daura, Katsina state, on Tuesday.

In a tribute posted on X on Wednesday, Gbajabiamila said he was left with a profound sense of loss upon receiving news of Buhari’s death.

He described the former president as “a friend and a father figure”, adding that the late Buhari embodied “dignity, integrity, and tenacity.”

“He was a statesman who occupied a unique place in the psyche and history of a country he loved and served for over sixty years,” Gbajabiamila said.

He said Buhari’s death, though not unexpected, still came as a shock.

“Here we are, a nation in mourning, shocked by a loss we could foresee but could never be prepared for,” he said.

“Because Muhammadu Buhari, the soldier, the administrator, and the politician, has been so long a part of our national consciousness that it seems impossible to imagine any other reality.”

Gbajabiamila said one of the greatest honours of his life was working closely with Buhari.

He recalled that as speaker of the house of representatives, he enjoyed Buhari’s full support in the face of political pressure.

“Throughout the tenacious machinations of many who sought to use him and his office to undermine the parliament for the sake of political interests, he stood by me,” he said.

“When these machinations became a distraction and I went to him, he assured me that only the national interests mattered to him and that as long as I continued to serve that interest, I would have his support.”

He said Buhari kept to his word and resisted attempts to sabotage the green chamber, thereby enabling a period of legislative stability in the 9th national assembly.

“This, too, is his legacy, and it is a worthy legacy indeed,” he said.

Gbajabiamila said Buhari, like all humans, was not without flaws but remained honourable and dignified throughout his life.

“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. That is the price of public life,” he said.

“Yet, despite his mistakes, one thing was always certain—he was an honourable and dignified man, a fine soldier and statesman who loved his country passionately.”

He extended condolences to Aisha Buhari, the former first lady, and the rest of the Buhari family.

He urged the family to take solace in Buhari’s accomplishments and the values he lived by.

“To all his friends and supporters across the country, let us continue the work of serving our nation so that by our joint efforts we may achieve the cause of a nation at peace, prosperous beyond our wildest dreams,” he added.

“This is the highest tribute we can pay to the lanky general and great statesman of our country.”