Gbajabiamiala says Buhari resisted pressure to use position to weaken the legislature

Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has paid tribute to former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a principled statesman who upheld the independence of the National Assembly during his tenure.

In a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, Gbajabiamila said he was deeply saddened by the death of the former president, who passed away on Sunday in a London clinic following a prolonged illness. Buhari was buried on Tuesday in the garden of his residence in Daura, Katsina State.

Expressing his condolences, Gbajabiamila described the late leader as “a friend and a father figure,” praising his enduring legacy of “dignity, integrity, and tenacity.”

“He was a statesman who occupied a unique place in the psyche and history of a country he loved and served for over sixty years,” the former Speaker of the House of Representatives wrote.

Although Buhari’s death was not unexpected due to his declining health, Gbajabiamila said the loss was still deeply felt.

“Here we are, a nation in mourning, shocked by a loss we could foresee but could never be prepared for. Because Muhammadu Buhari, the soldier, the administrator, and the politician, has been so long a part of our national consciousness that it seems impossible to imagine any other reality,” he stated.

Reflecting on their time working together during his tenure as Speaker, Gbajabiamila recounted how Buhari firmly resisted pressure from political actors seeking to manipulate the presidency to weaken the legislature.

“Throughout the tenacious machinations of many who sought to use him and his office to undermine the parliament for the sake of political interests, he stood by me,” he said.

“When these machinations became a distraction and I went to him, he assured me that only the national interests mattered to him, and that as long as I continued to serve that interest, I would have his support.”

According to Gbajabiamila, Buhari’s unwavering stance enabled a period of stability and legislative independence during the Ninth National Assembly.

“This, too, is his legacy, and it is a worthy legacy indeed,” he affirmed.

While acknowledging that the former president was not without flaws, Gbajabiamila said Buhari remained honourable and steadfast throughout his decades in public life.

“Over the course of his decades in the public eye, he made his mistakes, and his imperfections were inevitably magnified by being in full view. That is the price of public life,” he said.

“Yet, despite his mistakes, one thing was always certain—he was an honourable and dignified man, a fine soldier and statesman who loved his country passionately.”

He extended his condolences to former First Lady Aisha Buhari and the entire Buhari family, urging them to find solace in the late president’s life of service and conviction.

“To all his friends and supporters across the country, let us continue the work of serving our nation so that by our joint efforts we may achieve the cause of a nation at peace, prosperous beyond our wildest dreams,” Gbajabiamila concluded. “This is the highest tribute we can pay to the lanky general and great statesman of our country.”

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