Pius Nsabe
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday announced that the University of Maiduguri in Borno State will now be known as the Muhammadu Buhari University, in honour of the late former President who died on July 13 at the age of 82.
The announcement came at a special session of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in Abuja, convened to pay tribute to Buhari.
“May we now adopt the University of Maiduguri as the Muhammadu Buhari University,” Tinubu declared, drawing applause from the Council.
Paying glowing tribute to his predecessor, Tinubu described Buhari as “a good man, a decent man, an honourable man” whose character and patriotism will be remembered for generations.
“President Buhari was not a perfect man—no leader is—but he was, in every sense of the word, a good man. His record will be debated, as all legacies are, but the moral force he carried and the incorruptible standard he represented will not be forgotten. His was a life lived in full service to Nigeria and in fidelity to God,” Tinubu said.
He praised Buhari’s humility and resistance to the trappings of power, recalling their alliance that led to the historic 2015 elections, Nigeria’s first peaceful transfer of power between parties.
“When his tenure ended, he returned to Daura; not to command from the shadows or hold court, but to live as he always had—content to let others carry the nation forward,” Tinubu added.
The President concluded his tribute with a prayer: “Mai Gaskiya, the People’s General, the Farmer President, your duty is done. May Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljannah Firdaus. May his life continue to inspire generations of Nigerians to serve with courage, conviction, and selflessness. President Buhari, thank you. Nigeria will remember you.”