Tag: tinubu

Last week may well go down as the most emotionally searing and physically punishing stretch President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has had to endure since assuming the mantle of leadership in May 2023. It was a week that tested his strength, stretched his soul, and reaffirmed his humanity—unfolding with an avalanche of events that no playbook could have adequately prepared for. It was not the kind of week one enters from a place of fatigue, let alone jet lag, but that was precisely the state in which Tinubu returned to Nigeria—worn from a 15-day diplomatic foray to the Caribbean and Latin America, only to be met with a thunderclap of sorrow.

At about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 13, President Tinubu landed on Nigerian soil after crisscrossing Saint Lucia and Brazil in back-to-back state visits that involved intense diplomatic exchanges aimed at expanding Nigeria’s global partnerships. Barely had he set foot on home ground than the chilling news reached him: his immediate predecessor and ally, former President Muhammadu Buhari, had died in a London hospital after a long and closely guarded illness. If that shock was not enough to stagger the President, another blow landed within hours—the transition of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, the venerable Awujale of Ijebuland and one of Tinubu’s most trusted royal confidants.

It was a double bereavement. Two titans of Tinubu’s inner circle—one a political icon and national symbol, the other a regal father figure with whom he had shared years of counsel and kinship—both gone, just as he was returning from a taxing overseas mission. The sheer emotional weight of that convergence is hard to describe, but Tinubu didn’t buckle; he moved—fast, deliberate, resolute. Within hours, he announced Buhari’s death to the nation and dispatched Vice President Kashim Shettima to the United Kingdom to retrieve the body. That singular move was emblematic: the journey home of Nigeria’s late leader was not left to protocol or bureaucracy—it was a matter of personal honour.

In one of his earliest statements, Tinubu captured the magnitude of the loss: “President Buhari was, to the very core, a patriot. His legacy of service and sacrifice endures.” He would go on to order flags flown at half-mast nationwide and declare a public holiday for Tuesday, July 15. The decision to observe a full week of national mourning, followed by an emergency Federal Executive Council (FEC) session and a state burial of unprecedented scale, wasn’t just a matter of national ritual. It was personal. Deeply personal.

Throughout the week, the President functioned not only as Head of State but also as a chief mourner. He received Buhari’s body in Katsina with solemn reverence, walking silently behind the military hearse that bore his remains. The President of Nigeria—who could easily have delegated the role—chose instead to bow his head in humility before the flag-draped remains of the man who once led the nation and was also his political comrade. That moment, etched into the collective memory of Nigerians, was more than ceremonial; it was symbolic of the way Tinubu views leadership—not as rank, but as responsibility, even to the departed.

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The interment in Daura was executed with military precision and spiritual dignity. A 21-gun salute split the air and dignitaries from across the continent paid their last respects. Yet, beyond the optics, it was Tinubu’s steadfast presence and guiding hand throughout the process—from the airport in Katsina to the grave in Daura—that struck a chord with Nigerians. The man who had just returned from an exhausting foreign assignment chose not to retreat into rest, but to rise in tribute. He did not merely attend the funeral—he orchestrated it.

The setting up of an Inter-Ministerial Committee, chaired by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, to manage the funeral arrangements within a mere 48 hours underscored the urgency with which Tinubu approached the moment. For him, Buhari was not a ceremonial footnote in Nigeria’s history. He was a friend, a mentor, and a fellow traveler in the arduous road to Nigeria’s democratic consolidation. He could not be buried in haste or indifference.

And then there was the special FEC session on Thursday—a gathering of national memory and institutional grief. Tinubu’s tribute was one of rare vulnerability and reflection. “He was unmoved by the temptation of power, unseduced by applause, and unafraid of the loneliness that often visits those who do what is right,” he said of Buhari, with a voice equal parts admiration and finality. The President described his predecessor’s courage as quiet, his morality unpretentious, and his leadership self-effacing. It was the sort of testimony only a close witness could deliver—one born of shared trenches and private trust.

In one of the most emotionally charged moments of the week, President Tinubu announced the renaming of the University of Maiduguri to Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri (MBUM). This gesture, coming from a leader who rarely indulges in the politics of monuments, was profoundly telling. The University of Maiduguri is no ordinary institution; it stands in the heart of a region long devastated by insurgency, which Buhari devoted much of his tenure to stabilizing. In naming the university after him, Tinubu immortalized not just a man, but a mission—a commitment to nationhood, education, and peace.

The renaming of UNIMAID is one of those rare political acts that transcend symbolism. It codifies in the annals of public memory a man whose convictions often ran deeper than his words, whose governance was less about spectacle and more about service. In one stroke, Tinubu ensured that future generations—particularly those from the insurgency-battered North-East—will read the name Muhammadu Buhari not just in history books, but on admission letters, convocation certificates, and national academic records. It was a move rooted in respect, shaped by strategy, and inspired by legacy.

But if Buhari’s death brought the nation to mourning, the passing of Oba Sikiru Adetona tugged at the President’s personal heartstrings in a way few others could. In his tribute, Tinubu confessed that the death of the Awujale, occurring on the same day as Buhari’s, met him with “double pain.” He referred to the late monarch not merely as a traditional ruler but as a confidant and “honest arbiter” whose wise counsel had served him across decades. “I enjoyed an excellent personal relationship with Kabiyesi. I will forever cherish our time together,” he wrote. That double loss, so soon after a diplomatic marathon abroad, could have overwhelmed a lesser man. But Tinubu bore it with stoic grace.

Indeed, what played out last week was a masterclass in leadership under duress—emotionally, logistically, and symbolically. The President did not allow grief to paralyze governance. Instead, he fused both realms, transforming mourning into a mobilizing force for national reflection. He led not just by position but by posture—bowing when he could have stood aloof, walking when he could have driven.

For a man whose critics often accuse of being calculative and strategic to a fault, last week revealed a side of Tinubu that was raw, unfiltered, and deeply human. It reminded the nation—and perhaps himself—that leadership is not only about policies and appointments, but about people, relationships, and the burdens of memory.

In the Shadow of Loss, Tinubu Still Led

Even in a week drenched with personal grief and national mourning, President Tinubu did not waver in his duty to the country. Beneath the emotional weight of former President Buhari’s death and the parallel loss of the Awujale of Ijebuland, President Tinubu continued to attend to the weighty matters of state. It was a demonstration of composure, resilience, and devotion to the presidential oath he took—not merely to lead in times of triumph, but also through adversity.

On Sunday, the same day he broke the somber news of Buhari’s passing, the President also found time to publicly honour another towering figure—Professor Wole Soyinka. In a statement marking the Nobel Laureate’s 91st birthday, Tinubu described Soyinka as an “uncommon patriot” and a “source of inspiration to generations.” The gesture underscored a key facet of Tinubu’s character: his ability to balance grief with gratitude, to mourn the departed while still celebrating the living legends of Nigeria’s rich intellectual and cultural tapestry. It was not just protocol—it was personal.

Reflecting on his own relationship with the literary icon, Tinubu said, “I value my association with Professor Soyinka and several collaborations to advance the progress and development of Nigeria.” That note of reflection stood out, coming as it did in the thick of national bereavement. It pointed to a President who understands legacy not only in political terms but also in the moral and cultural realms where voices like Soyinka’s have long held sway.

By Tuesday, with Buhari’s body barely settled in Daura and the national mood still heavy, Tinubu turned to matters of international concern. He directed relevant agencies to swiftly address the reasons cited by the United States and the United Arab Emirates in their recent visa restrictions affecting Nigerians. Despite the mourning period, Tinubu was already back to enforcing his 4-D foreign policy framework—Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora—by ensuring Nigeria’s global reputation remained intact and Nigerians abroad were protected. The message was clear: diplomacy doesn’t pause for grief.

Then came Friday, and again, the President showed no signs of emotional withdrawal from his responsibilities. He announced a slate of strategic appointments across federal agencies, including naming Muhammad Babangida, son of former military President Ibrahim Babangida, as Chairman of the Bank of Agriculture. Other key appointments spanned sectors such as energy, education, peacebuilding, and trade. Even as he bade farewell to the past, Tinubu was busy engineering the machinery of the future.

Later that same day, President Tinubu made a solemn visit to Kano to condole with the family of the late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, the 94-year-old elder statesman and business icon. The President’s words were moving: “He was not just a respected figure; he was part of my family.” His tribute echoed the one he gave Buhari earlier in the week—personal, grounded, and sincere. For Tinubu, mourning is not mere optics; it is a duty of the heart.

Thus, even as the nation mourned and flags flew at half-staff, the President quietly sustained the rhythm of governance—engaging the world, appointing new leaders, and offering Nigerians a rare blend of strength and sentiment. In the heaviest of weeks, Tinubu carried on. And in doing so, he reminded the country that true leadership does not retreat when the heart is heavy—it rises.

In a political culture often characterized by expediency, Tinubu’s handling of Buhari’s passing is a case study in loyalty, ritual, and personal involvement. His visible, physical, and emotional presence throughout the week’s events is a rare departure from the detached statesmanship that many of his peers may have opted for. From authorizing the state burial, to attending and personally guiding each phase, to pronouncing memorialisation—he bore the week not as a man in high office, but as a man of high sentiment.

The page has now turned on a momentous week—one that forced Nigeria to pause, reflect, and honour two of its departed elders. But even as flags return to full mast and ministers resume routine briefings, what will linger is the image of a President—drained by diplomacy, battered by bereavement—still standing tall in the service of those he once called friends. For Tinubu, last week was more than a chapter in governance; it was a testament of heart, loyalty, and honour.

And so ends a week of grief, legacy, and grace. May those who passed be remembered well. And may those who remain—like President Tinubu—find the strength to keep carrying the load of history with the same dignity and devotion.