Nura Muhammad Mahe, grandson of former Nigerian President Alhaji Shehu Shagari, has commended President Bola Tinubu for according the late Muhammadu Buhari a dignified state burial something he says Buhari failed to do for Shagari in 2018.
In a statement released from Sokoto on Wednesday, Mahe described Tinubu’s personal attendance at Buhari’s funeral and the formation of a high-level burial committee as a mark of true statesmanship and a commitment to national unity.
Mahe drew a sharp contrast between Tinubu’s gesture and Buhari’s handling of Shagari’s death. Shagari, who died on December 28, 2018, received no state burial, and Buhari despite being in the country did not attend the funeral.
Instead, he dispatched a delegation led by then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and visited Sokoto later to sign the condolence register.
“It was painful,” Mahe said. “Buhari, who overthrew Shagari’s government in 1983, could not find it in himself to honour him properly in death. That decision felt deeply disrespectful.”
Mahe suggested Buhari’s failure to attend may have been influenced by lingering political grievances, but insisted that national leaders should rise above such issues.
He called on Nigerians to emulate Tinubu’s approach in recognizing the legacies of past leaders regardless of political differences. “Whether their legacies are loved or debated, they are part of our shared national history,” he said.
Attempts to reach Garba Shehu, former spokesperson for Buhari, were unsuccessful. Other officials declined to comment, citing the mourning period.
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