… demise shocking, devastating, Says Governor
Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed sadness over the news of the death of immediate past President, Muhammudu Buhari, whom he described as patriot who tried his best to give the country the required progress and development.
Buhari died on Sunday at at a London hospital, United Kingdom on Sunday, where he was receiving treatment over an undisclosed ailment.
Obasanjo while reacting to the death of the former military head of state and a colleague on Sunday, said he received the news of his death with heavy hearts.
He said: “It is with heavy heart, that I received this afternoon, of the passing of a colleague , a comrade , a cool patriot, General Muhammadu Buhari, who as a soldier , he played his role as a soldier. As an administrator, he played his role as an administrator , as a statesman, he played his role as a statesman, of course.”
“At a time lie this , we need the totality, of the experience and what I may call statesmanship of all those who have had opportunities to run the affairs of this country to get us out of the situation we are in , he will be surely missed. May his soul rest in perfect peace,” Obasanjo added.
Similarly, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State expressed profound shock at the demise of former President, saying that news of the transition of the former military and civilian leader left him devastated.
Abiodun, in a statement issued in Abeokuta, Ogun State, said even though death is a bill that all mortals must pay, the death of the former president came as a rude shock.
He described Buhari as a gallant soldier and patriot whose commitment to the Nigerian cause shone through while he held sway as military Head of State, and later as democratically elected president.
The governor added that his civilian presidency was enabled by his record as a scrupulously honest, no-nonsense General who believed that no national progress could be achieved without discipline and accountability.
He said: “Former President Muhammadu Buhari dead? It is hard to process this news at the moment. We had expected, like he did in the past, that he would pull through at this time, but we take profound comfort in the fact that he left great imprints on the sands of time.
“Both as military Head of State and as civilian president, Buhari made accountability his watchword.
“ Although his time as military Head of State had the usual elements of leadership style that is not acceptable in a democracy, it is significant that Buhari was able to reinvent himself and govern Nigeria for two terms as elected president, recording monumental achievements in infrastructure, from road to rail.
“As a person, he was straightforward, affable, witty, and of a humble disposition. Even his severest critics will readily admit that he did not seek public office for personal gratification.
“President Buhari was particularly fond of Ogun State, where he began his life as a young officer, and was excited to inaugurate and celebrate the achievements of our administration.
“I commiserate with his immediate family, including his beloved wife, Hajia Aisha Buhari, the people and Government of Katsina State, the Daura Emirate, and the Nigerian Army.
“I commiserate with President Bola Tinubu who has lost a friend and comrade in the struggle for a better Nigeria. May Almighty Allah grant him Aljanat Firdaus.”
