Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has revealed that he was admitted to the same hospital in London as former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 82.
Abdulsalami, who had just been discharged from the hospital, paid a condolence visit to Buhari’s family and described the late President as “a gentleman who was very quiet and exceptionally honest.”
Reflecting on their over six-decade-long relationship, Abdulsalami praised Buhari’s commitment to fighting corruption, but noted that not all members of his administration lived up to expectations. “When he became a democratic president, he tried his best to fight corruption.
Unfortunately, some of the officers who served with him are found wanting. They didn’t do as much as was expected from them,” he said.
Abdulsalami also commended President Bola Tinubu’s swift response in dispatching Vice President Kashim Shettima and Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila to oversee the return of Buhari’s remains to Nigeria. “That shows the magnitude of what has befallen Nigeria,” he said.
The former Head of State described Buhari’s death as a major loss not only to Nigeria but to the entire West African region.
He also expressed hope that Buhari’s passing would lead to positive changes in Nigerian politics. “With the passing away of Buhari, politics in Nigeria will certainly change — I hope for the better,” he said.
