President Bola Tinubu has said the late former President Muhammadu Buhari "was not a perfect man, no leader is, but he was, in every sense of the word, a good man, a decent man, an honourable man."

He said Buhari's record will be debated, as all legacies are, but the character he brought to public life, the moral force he carried, the incorruptible standard he represented, will not be forgotten.

"His was a life lived in full service to Nigeria, and in fidelity to God," Tinubu said at a special session of the Federal Executive Council in Abuja.

“Now, he rests. And we who remain must carry the memory of his life as a standard to guide us. Let us honour him not only with
words, but with humility in power, discipline in service, compassion in governance, and fearlessness in the pursuit of justice.”

He further stated, “Yet, with all that he had achieved, his most enduring legacy would be carved in democracy. In a time when many had lost hope that change was possible, Muhammadu Buhari put his faith in the people of this country.

"We stood together, he and I. Alongside others drawn from across the political spectrum, regions and tongues, we formed an alliance that enabled Nigeria to experience its first true democratic transfer of power from one ruling party to another.

"When he was sworn in as our party’s first elected President, he led with restraint, governed with dignity, and bore the burdens of leadership without complaint.”

ASA