Former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has declared that the death of the immediate past Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari will change the nation’s political landscape.
The former President died in a London hospital at the age of 82 after a prolonged illness, his family confirmed.
NewsQuest reports that given the key figure of the late President and his influence within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), his death is likely to influence the party’s political dynamics, and impact the strong support in the north, especially among the ‘talakawa’ – the (common people).
Alluding to this, Abdulsalami’s remarks, made while he was in the same London hospital as Buhari shortly before his passing, come amid growing agitation by a coalition of opposition politicians aiming to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
A key figure in the coalition opposing the ruling APC is former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, a close ally of the late Buhari. El-Rufai is among the leading leaders driving the alliance, which has adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform
“With the passing away of President Bubari, politics in Nigeria will certainly change, I hope for the better,” Abdulsalami told Channels Television in a London interview monitored by our correspondent.
General Abdulsalami described late Buhari as a quiet, honest, and dependable leader with a strong anti-corruption stance.
He said “President Tinubu has asked the Vice President to come so that he can escort the body. This shows you the magnitude that has befallen Nigeria.
“Unfortunately, we were in the same hospital together but I have been discharged. So, when I heard the news of his passing away. I quickly went there to condole with the family and see what could be done to get the corpse ready to be taken home,” Abdulsalami noted.
Speaking about his closeness with the late Nigerian leader, General Abdulsalami said “My relationship with President Buhari went back as far as 1962.
“We joined the military, he was my senior, and during the unfortunate civil war, we were fighting in the same sector. General Buhari is a gentleman who is very quiet, but exceptionally honest.
“You can trust Buhari with anything on his hands and he will not betray you. During his tenure as a military officer, you have seen how he tried to fight corruption, and he established the war against indiscipline to make Nigerians behave in the way the civilized world behaves.
“He introduced the world against indiscipline and Nigeria was cleaner and more respectful during that tenure. Unfortunately, we lost those values that he tried to introduce,” General Abdulsalami who served as Nigeria’s Military Head of State from June 9, 1998, to May 29, 1999, added.
Tributes have continued to pour in since the news of Buhari’s passing, with flags across Nigeria flown at half mast and a week-long period of mourning declared by the Federal Government ahead of his funeral on Tuesday in his home State Katsina.
President Tinubu is scheduled to attend the burial in a major symbolic last respect and pay condolences to the families of the late Nigerian leader.
The ex-military ruler who returned to power through elections is widely seen to have struggled to convince Nigerians that he could deliver on the country’s challenges, which he promised to address while campaigning.
Buhari was Nigeria’s President from 2015 to 2023. He also served as the military Head of State between January 1984 and August 1985.
