The news of the untimely passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari brought tears to the eyes of Nigerians on Sunday.
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Bayo Onanuga, a media adviser to President Bola Tinubu, broke the news on Sunday night, telling furucinovel that the former Nigerian leader passed away in London, United Kingdom, following a short illness.
Reports indicate that the former president fought blood cancer, leukaemia, before he bowed, however his family has refused to disclose the cause of his unfortunate death.
Worldwide leaders and politicians in Nigeria from both the government and opposition parties have been paying tribute to the leading elder statesman ever since, and the media has been inundated with eulogies.
Afenifere and the Arewa Youths were among the social and political groups that spoke out in an exclusive interview with furucinovel on Sunday to express their deepest condolences for his passing. Among Buhari’s indelible legacy is Afenifere
Comrade Jare Ajayi, national publicity secretary of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere, offered his sympathies in an interview with furucinovel. After leaving office, the former president, says Ajayi, left indelible legacy.
People will remember him for many ways, one of which is that he oversaw an administration that demonstrated to Nigerians, with the help of the late General Tunde Idiagbon, that disciplined living is possible.
“Regrettably, subsequent administrations failed to uphold the level of discipline that his administration imposed on the Nigerian people.
“Also, the administration’s harsh measures, including its lack of respect for human rights, tarnished the honourable reputation that his government would have earned as military Head of State,” he added.
Ajayi elaborated by saying that Buhari’s presidency as a civilian from 2015 to 2023 helped to dispel the myth of the “no-nonsense man” persona he had earned. There is “one significant lesson in his behaviour leading up to the election that put him in office,” he said.
He exemplified the ‘never-say-die’ attitude. He persisted when others might have given up after multiple fruitless tries.
“Even if the first efforts don’t yield the desired outcome, the lesson here is that anyone pursuing a noble goal should not give up,” he added.
According to Ajayi, “the man certainly did his best, given the challenges that he had,” even though his eight years as civilian president were characterised as a complex combination.
“Over the death of a man who had the fortune of leading the country first as a military head of state and then as a civilian president,” Afenifere said, expressing her condolences to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Buhari’s immediate family, and the nation as a whole. I pray that Allah, the Most High, pardons his transgressions and gives him paradise on earth. Arewa Youths: Buhari’s demise signifies the conclusion of a period in Nigerian politics
The demise of Buhari “signals the end of an era in Nigerian politics, and we take this moment to reflect on his life, legacy, and the profound impact he had on our nation,” said Yerima Shettima, President General of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), who spoke with furcinovel.
To Shettima, the tragedy was “immeasurable,” and the group is standing with the former president’s family “in this time of grief,”, she added. The speaker urged all Nigerians to pay tribute to Buhari by keeping the country united and moving forward.
We implore all Nigerians to take stock of what we can learn from President Buhari’s life and work towards making our country more like his ideals of honesty, togetherness, and advancement.
“As a nation, we must unite in our pursuit of a better future for all Nigerians, so that his legacy may continue to thrive,” he proclaimed. Buhari is slated to be laid to rest today in Daura
On Monday (today), the former president will be put to rest in his hometown of Daura. Vice President Kashim Shettima and other government leaders are returning to Nigeria to attend the funeral.
You may remember that after Buhari’s second term ended on May 29, he reportedly went back to his hometown of Daura to tend to his cattle after leaving Aso Rock.
On the other hand, Buhari returned to his Kaduna mansion on February 25, 2025, a move that some Nigerians believed was in preparation for the 2027 general elections.
A large number of Nigerians came to his Kaduna home to grieve and pay their condolences shortly after his death on Sunday.
Rumour has it that Alhaji Suleiman Adamu, the former minister of water resources, was one of the first guests in the former president’s home.
Two military gun vehicles were positioned at strategic locations close to the residence, and armed troops were seen patrolling the street, all in an effort to bolster security in the area.
Security personnel strongly discouraged loitering in the small residential neighbourhood and limited vehicular mobility.
According to our source, security was also stepped up in Daura in preparation for the funeral, thus the scenario was similar there.