Akpabio: Buhari Walked with Iron Duty, Not for Glory
At a solemn gathering of Nigeria’s highest-ranking public officials, Senate President Godswill Akpabio delivered a moving tribute to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, honoring him as a man of discipline, integrity, and unflinching patriotism.
Speaking at the Expanded Special Federal Executive Council session held in Abuja to mark Buhari’s passing, Akpabio described the former president as “a sentinel of duty,” a leader who chose honor over headlines, and who gave his life in service to a country that demanded much from him.
“There are moments in the life of a nation when she must pause—not out of routine, but out of reverence. Today is such a moment,” Akpabio began. He painted a portrait of Buhari as both soldier and statesman, someone forged by conflict and refined by the burden of leadership.
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The Senate President, who once served as a minister in Buhari’s cabinet, offered rare insights into the late leader’s character. “He was not flamboyant—far from it. His voice was measured. His steps, deliberate. But beneath that calm exterior beat the heart of a patriot,” he said.
Akpabio acknowledged that Buhari had critics, but insisted that even they would agree he led with discipline and did not succumb to the temptations of office. “He did not pilfer the nation’s purse, nor pander to its pleasures,” he added. “His toughness was born not of pride, but of patriotism.”
The tribute concluded on a reflective note: “Let it be said by generations to come, that a man once walked this land with a firm gait, a steady gaze, and an iron sense of duty. His name was Muhammadu Buhari.”
The special session is part of a series of national tributes following the passing of President Buhari, who died in London after a prolonged illness. He was buried in his hometown, Daura, with full state honors earlier this week.
