President Bola Tinubu has summoned an emergency meeting of the Federal Executive Council, to be held on Tuesday, July 15, in honour of the late former president Muhammadu Buhari, who died in a London hospital on Sunday.
The announcement came in a sombre tribute personally signed by Tinubu on Sunday evening, shortly after news of Buhari’s passing broke. The president confirmed that the late leader would be accorded full state honours.
“As a mark of respect to our former leader, I have directed that all national flags fly at half-mast across the country for seven days from today,” Tinubu wrote. “I have also summoned an emergency Federal Executive Council session on Tuesday, dedicated to his honour.”
Describing Buhari’s death as a moment of “profound sorrow,” Tinubu eulogised the former president as “a patriot, a soldier, a statesman” whose legacy would “endure through the values he espoused.”
“President Buhari was, to the very core, a patriot,” he wrote. “He served Nigeria with unwavering dedication, first as a military leader from January 1984 to August 1985, and later as a democratically elected President from 2015 to 2023.”
Tinubu praised Buhari’s integrity and resolve in the face of adversity, highlighting his record in fighting corruption and enforcing discipline in governance. “He championed discipline in public service, confronted corruption head-on, and placed the country above personal interest at every turn,” he said.
In his tribute, Tinubu extended condolences to Buhari’s widow, Aisha, their children, and the broader Buhari family. He also acknowledged the people and traditional leadership of Daura, the late president’s hometown in Katsina State.
“In this moment of national mourning, I extend my deepest condolences to his beloved wife, Aisha, his children, the entire Buhari family, and all who knew and loved him,” Tinubu wrote. “I also extend my condolences to the government and people of Katsina State, most especially the people and traditional leaders of Daura Emirate.”
The president assured Nigerians that the federal government would organise a funeral befitting the stature of a man whose leadership, he said, helped shape the course of modern Nigeria.
“We honour his service. We reflect on his legacy. And we pray for the peaceful repose of his soul,” Tinubu said, adding: “May Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus. And may his life continue to inspire generations of Nigerians to serve with courage, conviction, and selflessness.”
