Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has described the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari as a rude shock and a devastating national loss.
In a statement issued in Abeokuta on Sunday, Governor Abiodun said the death of the former military and civilian leader hit him deeply, noting that it was hard to process the reality of Buhari’s demise.
“Former President Muhammadu Buhari dead? It is hard to process this news at the moment,” Abiodun said. “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.”
The governor described Buhari as a gallant soldier and committed patriot who served Nigeria with honesty, discipline, and a deep sense of responsibility both as Head of State and later as a democratically elected president.
“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,” he said.
Abiodun noted that Buhari remained a humble and affable leader whose personal integrity stood out, even among his fiercest critics. “He did not seek public office for personal gratification,” the governor added.
Recalling the former president’s fondness for Ogun State, Abiodun said Buhari had a special connection with the state, where he began his journey as a young military officer, and was always pleased to celebrate the state’s development strides.
“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,” Abiodun said.
He also extended his condolences to President Bola Tinubu, whom he described as having lost “a friend and comrade in the struggle for a better Nigeria.”
“May Almighty Allah grant him Aljanat Firdaus,” the governor prayed.
