President Tinubu has renamed University of Maiduguri as Muhammadu Buhari University to honour his late predecessor.
Tinubu announced the honour on Thursday at the session of tributes of the special federal executive council (FEC) meeting convened for the late former president.
In an emotional tribute, the president described Buhari as “a good man, a decent man, an honourable man,” acknowledging that while no leader is perfect, the former president embodied values that will not be forgotten.
“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,” Tinubu said.
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“His was a life lived in full service to Nigeria and in fidelity to God. Now, he rests. And we who remain must carry the memory of his life as a standard to guide us,” he added.
Tinubu called on leaders to honour Buhari’s memory not just with words, but with humility in power, discipline in service, compassion in governance, and fearlessness in the pursuit of justice.
Reflecting on their political journey, Tinubu said Buhari’s belief in democracy at a time many Nigerians had lost hope stood out as his most enduring legacy.
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“We stood together, he and I,” Tinubu said. “Alongside others drawn from across the political spectrum, regions, and tongues, we formed an alliance that enabled Nigeria to experience its first true democratic transfer of power from one ruling party to another.”
He described Buhari’s leadership style as marked by “restraint and dignity” and noted that he bore the burdens of office “without complaint.”
