Today, with a heavy heart, we bid farewell to a patriot…
As I stood before my colleagues in the House of Representatives, it was not just a valedictory session – it was a moment of deep national reflection. The passing of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, marks the end of an era… a chapter closed, but one that will echo through the pages of our national history.
President Buhari was not without critics – like every leader, his legacy invites diverse opinions. But beyond the debates, there is one truth we must hold dear: he gave his all to Nigeria. From the battlefield as a young officer to the ballot as a democratically elected President, he dedicated nearly six decades of his life to service.
His fingerprints are on our infrastructure – the Second Niger Bridge, Abuja-Kaduna and Lagos-Ibadan railways, thousands of rehabilitated roads – and equally so in the halls of legislation where he worked with us to birth transformative laws:
– The Not Too Young to Run Act
– The Electoral Act
– The Petroleum Industry Act, and many others.
These were not just policies. They were blueprints of a better Nigeria.
He respected the sanctity of the National Assembly. He believed in the balance of power, and never sought to dictate or dominate. His legacy reminds us that leadership is not about perfection, but principled perseverance.
Let us not allow his memory to divide us. Let us let it unite us – in purpose, in patriotism, in the resolve to continue building the Nigeria he believed in.
Rest well, Baba Buhari.
Your labour was not in vain.
Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, GCON
Speaker, House of Representatives
Federal Republic
