First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on Saturday led a high-powered delegation of prominent Nigerian women to Daura, Katsina State, to condole with the family of late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who died in London on Sunday July 13 and was buried in his hometown on Tuesday July 15.
Accompanied by the wife of the vice president Nana Shettima, wife of the speaker of the House of Representatives Fatima Abbas, wife of the deputy Senate president Laila Barau, as well as wives of state governors, ministers, service chiefs and other distinguished women.
The First Lady paid tribute to the late president, hailing him as a symbol of integrity and devotion to nationhood.
“President Buhari was not only a statesman but a symbol of integrity, discipline, and devotion to Nigeria,” she said.
“His life was marked by unwavering commitment to nation-building, public service, and the welfare of the common man.”
The visit included prayers for the peaceful repose of the late elder statesman’s soul.
In a related engagement, the first lady, alongside Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State, led the delegation to the Palace of the Emir of Daura, Umar Farouk, to condole with the royal family and the Daura Emirate Council over the national loss.
“We didn’t come here as a duty of office, but because my husband has lost an ally — a friend of many years, in spite of the fact that he was our leader,” Mrs Tinubu said.
“We all miss him. Daura must be proud to have produced such a worthy son, who served the country both as a military and civilian leader.”
Governor Radda in his remarks thanked President Bola Tinubu and the first lady for their unwavering support, noting that the president demonstrated exceptional loyalty to Buhari both in life and in death.
“President Tinubu sent a powerful delegation to London to accompany the corpse of our late president. He declared a public holiday on July 15 for the burial and personally accompanied the body from the airport to Daura, staying until he was laid to rest,” Radda recounted.
He further disclosed that the president left behind Vice President Kashim Shettima and 25 cabinet ministers in Daura to oversee the final rites for the late president.
“Mr. President has shown leadership, patriotism, and friendship,” he said.
Responding, Emir Umar Farouk expressed profound appreciation for the visit, noting that the show of support by the first lady and the Tinubu administration reflects a sense of national unity and deep respect for a departed patriot.
“The people of Daura will never forget Tinubu’s good deeds,” the Emir said, pledging continued loyalty and gratitude from the Emirate.
Muhammadu Buhari served as Nigeria’s head of state from 1983 to 1985 and later as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023.
He died at the age of 82.
