– President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced the renaming of the University of Maiduguri in honour of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a man whose “patriotism lived more in action than in words.”
Speaking at a special expanded Federal Executive Council (FEC) session held at the State House, Abuja, the President said the rechristening of the university was a symbolic gesture to immortalise Buhari’s lifelong commitment to education, national unity, and public service—particularly his impact in the North-East.
“Today, we gather under a heavy shadow, drawn from the silence that surrounds a departed leader… whose convictions never bowed, even to the strongest winds of public opinion,” Tinubu said in an emotion-laden eulogy. “The University of Maiduguri will now bear his name, a lasting legacy etched into the history of our nation.”
The solemn gathering, which began with the national anthem, brought together top members of the federal cabinet, the National Assembly leadership, service chiefs, state governors, and family members of the late president.
President Tinubu hailed Buhari’s life as a model of integrity and selfless leadership. “He stood ramrod straight, unmoved by the temptation of power… a man of austere honour, principled restraint, and quiet courage,” the president said.
He praised Buhari’s ascetic lifestyle, moral fortitude, and democratic legacy, noting the late president’s critical role in Nigeria’s first peaceful democratic transition in 2015. “His most enduring legacy would be carved in democracy,” Tinubu declared.
After completing his second term in 2023, Buhari returned to his Daura hometown, “not to command from the shadows,” Tinubu noted, “but to live as he always had – in quiet dignity.”
The President also acknowledged the late leader’s significant military and administrative contributions, from his role in the civil war to leading the Petroleum Trust Fund with what he called “Spartan rigour.”
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described Buhari as “a sentinel of Spartan simplicity” and a leader who chose duty over popularity. “His toughness was born not of pride, but of patriotism,” Akpabio said.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, called him “a moral compass and a source of guidance,” praising Buhari’s lifestyle of modesty, devotion, and principle.
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), in a statement read by its chairman, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, lauded Buhari as “a devoted servant of the Nigerian people” and praised Tinubu’s gesture as “historic and symbolic.”
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who served under Buhari, described him as “a moral and ethical compass in governance” and “a president who served Nigeria unblemished.”
Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health, noted that global reactions underscored Buhari’s international stature. “He lived and died an honourable man,” Pate said, adding that “President Buhari’s name will remain indelible.”
The late president’s son, Yusuf Muhammadu Buhari, expressed deep appreciation to President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and the Nigerian public for their support and tributes, calling the state honour a source of strength for the bereaved family.
Other dignitaries who paid tribute included Head of Civil Service of the Federation Dr. Didi Walson-Jack, Ministers Atiku Bagudu, Dele Alake, Senator Dave Umahi, and Hajia Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim.
Tinubu closed the session by recalling Buhari’s state burial on July 15 in Daura, which he personally led alongside Vice President Shettima. “Mai Gaskiya. The People’s General. The Farmer President — your duty is done,” he said.
As Nigeria mourns the loss of one of its most austere and iconic leaders, the renaming of the University of Maiduguri to Muhammadu Buhari University now stands as a permanent national symbol of honour, integrity, and unyielding patriotism.