Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives has disclosed what the late former President Muhammadu Buhari told him after he became Speaker of the 10th House.
In his tributetribute at a special expanded Federal Executive Council session in honour of Buhari, Abbas recalled his conversation with Buhari during a brief meeting in the United Kingdom in 2023, after his election as Speaker.
“He warmly welcomed me following my election as Speaker. His counsel was clear: lead as a servant, never as a master. Those words, simple yet profound, have remained my compass”, Abbas said.
The Speaker also said he was first elected to represent Zaria Federal Constituency at the House in 2011 on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a party founded by Buhari.
According to Abbas, “President Buhari was no ordinary figure in our national journey. He embodied quiet strength, moral clarity, and an unshakable sense of duty. At a time when society was seduced by materialism, he chose a life of modest means and meaningful service. He was devoted to family and steadfast in his Islamic faith. His humour and humility softened his disciplined exterior. “
The Speaker eulogised the late Buhari, saying he did not live for applause or influence but for principle and a better Nigeria.
“Buhari’s belief in the brevity of life and the certainty of judgment shaped his ascetic lifestyle and guided his public conduct. He lived not for applause or affluence but for principle, for country, and for the cause of a better Nigeria. To me, he was more than a leader”, he added.
He added that a few years after his election, Buhari honoured him by commissioning some of his constituency projects, making him the first member of the House under the CPC to receive such recognition.
The Speaker stated that Buhari signed into law several landmark bills that opened political space to young people, strengthened the country’s electoral processes, and laid the foundation for economic reform. While noting that the ex-president’s development vision reached beyond the present and into the future, Abbas said the roads, railways, and bridges he built are lasting gifts to generations yet unborn.
He urged Nigerians to honour Buhari’s life not only with words but also with a renewed commitment to the values he cherished.
