· Tinubu, Ex-Presidents, governors, others mourn
· FEC holds Tuesday to honour him
· VP Shettima escorts body home
· Nigerians express mixed feelings
· Dies in London, but spent N21bn on Villa Clinic
By Sarah NEGEDU & Laraba MUREY
Former President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday died in a London Hospital and threw Nigeria into mourning.
Before his death on Sunday, a former aide, Mr. Bashir Ahmad, had debunked the reports that the former president was critically ill and fighting for his life in a London hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, ICU.
The former presidential aide described the claims as exaggerated and misleading.
Leading a list of mourners, President Bola Tinubu who announced the passing of Buhari, described the development “as a national loss.”
Tinubu, in a condolence message he personally signed, said, it was “with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that I received the news of the passing of His Excellency, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd), GCFR, my predecessor, who departed this life today, Sunday, July 13, 2025, at a hospital in the United Kingdom.”
The president described Buhari “to the very core, a patriot, a soldier, a statesman. His legacy of service and sacrifice endures. 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. Duty, honour, and a deep commitment to the unity and progress of our nation defined his life.”
According to Tinubu, Buhari “stood firm through the most turbulent times, leading with quiet strength, profound integrity, and an unshakable belief in Nigeria’s potential. He championed discipline in public service, confronted corruption head-on, and placed the country above personal interest at every turn.
“In this moment of national mourning, I extend my deepest condolences to his beloved wife, Aisha, with whom I have been in constant touch, his children, the entire Buhari family, and all who knew and loved him.
“I also extend my condolences to the government and people of Katsina State, most especially the people and traditional leaders of Daura Emirate.
“We honour his service. We reflect on his legacy. And we pray for the peaceful repose of his soul.
As a mark of respect to our former leader, I have directed that all national flags fly at half-staff across the country for seven days from today.
“I have also summoned an emergency Federal Executive Council session on Tuesday, dedicated to his honour.”
Northern Governors have also reacted to the development, saying Buhari’s life embodied discipline and integrity.
In a condolence message personally signed by the NSGF Chairman and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, the Forum said Buhari’s demise marks a moment of great mourning for Nigeria, especially the northern region.
“President Muhammadu Buhari was an iconic figure whose life embodied discipline, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the service of Nigeria.
“To us in the Northern Governors’ Forum, President Buhari was not just a national icon, but also a mentor and moral compass who stood firm on the principles of accountability, transparency, and good governance,” he said.
Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, in his condolence message said, “With a heart weighed down by grief yet lifted by the indelible legacy he leaves behind, I, on behalf of the Government and people of Cross River State, mourn the passing of Nigeria’s former President, Muhammadu Buhari—a statesman of stoic grace, uncommon discipline, and unwavering devotion to nationhood.
“His life was a luminous tapestry of sacrifice, honour, and a quiet, enduring patriotism that etched his name into the soul of our country. Nigeria grieves, yet stands in solemn salute to a leader who bore the burdens of our collective dream with dignity.
“May his noble soul find eternal rest in the bosom of peace, and may his memory serve as a guiding star in our continuing quest for justice, unity, and national renewal.”
In addition, former Minister of Finance and Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has offered her condolences to the ex-president’s family.
In a tweet via her verified X account, the ex-minister, who had unknowingly wished Buhari speedy recovery, shortly after his passing was announced, said she didn’t know the former president was ill.
She wrote: “Unbelievable! I did not know just how ill HE President Buhari was and minutes after sending my get well wishes I have just learned that he passed away. I am so very sad. May the Soul of HE@MBuhari rest in perfect peace. My deepest condolences to the entire Buhari family and his close aides and associates.”
Also, Governor Seyi Makinde has joined in the mourning of Buhari, saying the ex-president made his mark during his tenure.
In a statement by Suleimon Olanrewaju, the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Makinde described Buhari’s death as “unexpected”.
He expressed his condolences to President Bola Tinubu and also commiserated with the wife of the former president, Hajia Aisha Buhari and his entire family, praying to God to grant repose to his soul.
Prince Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, in a message he personally signed, wrote, “We received with profound shock and sorrow the news of the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“His death is a deeply painful and devastating loss to our nation. Though we know that death is the final debt all mortals must pay, we had hoped, given his past resilience, that he would overcome his most recent health challenges. His sudden demise has left us deeply shaken.
“President Buhari was a gallant soldier, a patriot, and a statesman whose leadership—both as a military Head of State and as a two-term civilian president—was marked by a strong emphasis on discipline, accountability, and national development.”
Further, former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the 2023 general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has profoundly expressed his condolences.
In his verified X (former Twitter) platform, Adebayo, who is the leader of the party, prayed for the repose of the former president’s soul.
He said: “I profoundly mourn the passing of our former President and General, Muhammad Buhari GCFR who died today in London UK. I offer prayers of comfort to his family and all Nigerians. I pray for Allah SWT to forgive him all his shortcomings and grant him Aljannatul Firdaus, Ameen Summa Ameen.”
Buhari would be remembered for a lot of missteps one of which is that he spent over N21bn on the presidential wing of the State House Medical Centre in Abuja.
During its commissioning with fanfare, it was touted as “a specialised intensive care facility for the president, vice president, their immediate families, and other VIPs.”
Buhari, who was elected first in 2015 in a historic victory over incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, has been in the United Kingdom for a while for his failing health though his aides denied he was not in intensive care.
Buhari as president as at 2022 spent over 225 days out of the country for medicals. His first of many medical trips started on February 5, 2016, eight months after assuming office to London, the United Kingdom, spending six days.
Buhari, who first served as Nigeria’s Head of State from 1983 to 1985, was later elected president in 2015 and reelected in 2019.
