By John Umeh
In a solemn and decisive move, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has summoned an emergency meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari. The late statesman, who passed away in London at the age of 82, is to be accorded full state honours, Tinubu announced during the closed-door session.
The President, visibly emotional but composed, said the government would spare no effort in ensuring Buhari receives the dignified farewell befitting a former Head of State and two-time president. As part of immediate measures, Tinubu has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to travel to London and personally accompany the late president’s remains back to Nigeria for burial and final rites.
A Nation Pauses in Grief
The emergency FEC meeting, held Sunday morning at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, was attended by ministers, top aides, service chiefs, and senior government functionaries. Silence filled the chamber as Tinubu delivered a moving tribute, describing Buhari as “a towering figure in Nigerian history whose contributions to national development, unity, and discipline cannot be forgotten.”
“We owe him a debt of gratitude, and we will honour him with all the dignity he deserves,” Tinubu said.
Shettima Heads to London on Special Mission
In what the Presidency termed a “highly symbolic and personal gesture,” Vice President Kashim Shettima departed for London immediately after the emergency meeting. He is expected to oversee the preparation and escort of the late president’s body back to Nigeria.
According to a source at the Presidential Villa, the decision to have Shettima personally lead the repatriation underscores the deep respect the Tinubu administration has for Buhari’s legacy and the importance of national unity during this moment of loss.
“Vice President Shettima will represent the heart of the Nigerian nation on this solemn mission. It is a journey of honour and remembrance,” said the source.
National Mourning and State Funeral Plans
President Tinubu has also declared a three-day national mourning period, during which all flags will fly at half-mast nationwide. All official engagements across government ministries have been suspended or postponed.
A state funeral committee, to be chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has been constituted and is expected to announce a detailed burial plan in collaboration with the Buhari family. The funeral rites are expected to span multiple days, with ceremonies planned in Abuja and Daura, the hometown of the late president.
According to insiders, the funeral will include military honours, national tributes, and interfaith prayers. The Federal Government is also in talks with ECOWAS and the African Union for their participation in the burial events.
A Symbolic Farewell to a Divisive but Defining Leader
Former President Muhammadu Buhari was a towering yet controversial figure who left behind a complicated legacy. From his ascension as a military ruler in 1983 to his historic democratic comeback in 2015 and 2019, Buhari’s leadership style, marked by discipline, nationalism, and anti-corruption crusades, defined a generation of governance in Nigeria.
While hailed for infrastructural projects and anti-graft efforts, he was also criticized for economic hardship, worsening insecurity, and allegations of ethnic favoritism during his presidency.
Yet in death, Nigeria appears united in grief. Across political divides and social classes, tributes have poured in recognizing the late president’s austere personal integrity and his role in shaping the Fourth Republic.
“A Father of the Nation Deserves a Hero’s Exit”
President Tinubu closed the emergency session with a quote that struck a chord across the nation:
“He was more than a predecessor — he was a father of modern Nigeria. He deserves a hero’s exit, and under this government, he will get it.”
As Vice President Shettima arrives in London and the world prepares to bid farewell to Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria braces for one of its most significant state burials in recent memory — a chapter of history drawing to a close with solemn reverence.
