Lucky Irabor: I never met Buhari before he appointed me as CDS

Lucky Irabor, former chief of defence staff (CDS), says he had never met the late former President Muhammadu Buhari before he was appointed to the military position.

In January 2021, Buhari appointed Irabor as the CDS, after which the senate confirmed him in March of the same year.

Buhari died on Sunday in a hospital in London, United Kingdom (UK), after a prolonged illness.

He served as Nigeria’s military head of state from 1983 to 1985 and as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023.

In a statement, Irabor described Buhari as a firm but fair leader, adding that the late former president had the humility to accept superior arguments when convinced on issues of national security.

“The news of the passing of President Buhari came to me and my family as a profound shock and source of deep sorrow,” the ex-CDS said.

“I know that we are not alone in this grief; millions of Nigerians at home and in the diaspora feel the same sense of loss.

“President Buhari was, in every sense, a good man. Before he appointed me as Chief of Defence Staff on Jan. 26, 2021, I had never met him personally.

“Like many Nigerians, I knew him only from a distance, through the pages of history, the news, and the reverence with which he was spoken of in military circles.

“It was when I was appointed as the CDS; that was when I got to know the man behind the public image.”

The ex-CDS leader recalled what the late Buhari told him when they met for the first time after his appointment as CDS.

Irabor said as an officer cadet, he admired Buhari as a military head of state.

“In our very first meeting, he looked me in the eye and said, ‘I have never met you before, but I have heard of your performance,’” he added.

“As commander-in-chief, he gave unwavering support to the armed forces under my watch within the limits of the nation’s resources.

“He trusted our judgment and believed in our capacity, as I assured him that we would never make excuses.

“He believed in us that failure was not an end; it was a lesson to be learned; a steppingstone to future success.”