In an emotional tribute that chronicled Muhammadu Buhari’s extraordinary 40 year journey through Nigeria’s political landscape, Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo declared the late president stood uniquely “tested and trusted over time” through every chapter of the nation’s turbulent democracy.
Delivering his eulogy at Thursday’s Expanded Special Federal Executive Council meeting, Keyamo, who served as both Buhari’s campaign spokesman and minister, provided an intimate account of how the Nigeria’s former military ruler transformed into one of Africa’s most celebrated democratic icons while maintaining unwavering integrity.
“The notion of his transparency and honesty was not just a flash in the pan,” Keyamo told assembled dignitaries, his voice thick with emotion. “He was trusted and tested over time because he served at different levels and in different capacities.”
The minister chronicled Buhari’s unmatched trajectory, from platoon commander to democratically elected president, with stops as petroleum minister, military governor and PTF chairman between.
“He was a Platoon Commander, a Commanding Officer, a Brigade Commander, a General Officer Commanding (GOC), a Governor of the old North Eastern Region, a Federal Commissioner, a Federal Minister, Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), Military Head of State and finally democratic President. Yet, he was NEVER found wanting for once.”
The Minister recalled watching the president routinely prioritise national interest over personal loyalty.
“The Buhari I know will NEVER, EVER sacrifice hierarchical order and discipline on the altar of personal relationships, family ties or friendships,” the minister emphasised, describing how subordinates who clashed with superiors would find no protection in presidential connections.
What emerged was a portrait of rare constancy in Nigerian leadership. Where others adapted principles to circumstance, Buhari applied the same discipline to military and democratic governance alike. His austerity as petroleum minister mirrored his frugality as president; his intolerance for corruption at PTF foreshadowed his war on graft in Aso Rock.
In one of the tribute’s most poignant moments, Keyamo contrasted Buhari’s two presidencies, separated by 30 years of Nigeria’s evolution.
“From the image of a no-nonsense and stern military dictator of the 1980’s who truncated democracy… to the hero and symbol of Change and Hope that the nation chose to defeat a behemoth ruling party in 2015… and finally to the legacy of a sitting President who presided over a peaceful, free and fair democratic process that produced his successor, this is the stuff of which thrilling, fictional movies are made.”
The minister reserved special praise for Buhari’s personal integrity, recalling his immediate reaction to the president’s death: “They don’t make them like him anymore; not given to the primitive acquisition of unearned wealth, frugal in living, austere in lifestyle, not inclined to showboating and incredibly honest to the core.”
Keyamo suggested Buhari’s greatest test came in his democratic incarnation, proving power could be both taken and given back through constitutional means. Having entered politics as the beneficiary of military force, he would exit as a guardian of electoral will.
As the tribute concluded, Keyamo offered a biblical epitaph: “He came, he fought and he conquered. He has finished the course and run a good race.” His final words – “Goodbye Mai Gaskiya!” (Goodbye Mr. Truth).
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