Former Military President General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) has paid an emotional tribute to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a man defined by integrity, order, and a deep respect for public office.
In a statement released in Minna, Babangida said he received the news of Buhari’s passing with profound sorrow, calling him “my friend, my brother, my course mate, and a fellow soldier in the journey of nationhood.”
Reflecting on their shared history, IBB recalled how they both joined the Nigerian Military Training College in Kaduna in 1962. “From those early days, Muhammadu stood out — quiet yet resolute, principled yet humble, deeply patriotic and fiercely loyal to Nigeria,” he wrote.
Babangida noted that over the decades, they faced “trenches and trials, dreams and disappointments, victories and moments of reflection” together, bound not only by military service but by a shared commitment to discipline and national service.
“Fate placed both of us in leadership at different times and under very different circumstances,” Babangida remarked, “yet Buhari remained steadfast in his belief in integrity, order, and the dignity of public office.”
Beyond the uniform, IBB described Buhari as “a deeply spiritual man who found solace in faith and carried himself with humility.”
“We may not have agreed on everything — as brothers often don’t — but I never once doubted his sincerity or patriotism,” he added.
Babangida described Buhari’s death as “not just the loss of a former Head of State or two-term civilian President, but the departure of a symbol: a man whose life bridged Nigeria’s old guard and the new republic, and who in retirement continued to serve as a moral compass and an example of modesty.”
Extending condolences to Buhari’s widow Aisha, his children and grandchildren, and the entire nation, Babangida concluded with a prayer: “May Allah, in His infinite mercy, forgive his shortcomings, accept his noble deeds, and grant him Aljannatul Firdaus.”
