By Yusuf Ladan
Abuja, Nigeria - A grandson of Nigeria's former President Shehu Shagari, Nura Muhammad Mahe, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his show of respect and statesmanship in honouring his predecessor, the late President Muhammadu Buhari, with a state burial.
In a statement, Mahe praised Tinubu for personally attending Buhari's funeral and setting up a committee to organise a befitting state burial, describing the gesture as a mark of honour and national unity.
"This is in stark contrast to how the late President Shehu Shagari was treated during the administration of Muhammadu Buhari," Mahe said. He recalled that Buhari, despite being in the country at the time of Shagari's death, neither attended his funeral nor accorded him a state burial.
"Instead, a government delegation led by the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who is notably a non-Muslim, was dispatched to represent him," he said. Mahe expressed regret over what he described as a lack of respect for Shagari, who served Nigeria with distinction as its first democratically elected Executive President.
"It remains a painful memory that Shagari's death occurred under the leadership of a man who many believe harboured political animosity toward him. Even in death, Buhari showed little public remorse or respect for his predecessor," the statement read.
He concluded by praying for the forgiveness and eternal peace of all departed Nigerian leaders, noting that their legacies, whether positive or controversial, remain part of the country's history.
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Condolence