The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has said President Bola Tinubu was personally pained by the passing of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He described Buhari’s passing as a major loss not only to his family, the people of Daura, or the people of Katsina State, but to the nation and the entire African continent.
Shettima stated this on Wednesday after a brief prayer for the repose of the soul of Buhari at the deceased’s residence in Daura, Katsina State.
According to him, people from far and wide have called to commiserate with Tinubu over the sad demise of our elder statesman.
According to a statement by his spokesman Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima stated that every soul shall test the torment of death, adding that while death was an inevitable destiny that hung on everyone’s neck, everyone should consider himself/herself as traveller with his/her bags and baggage waiting for the train.
Shettima prayed to Allah to grant the soul of the late former President eternal rest and reward him with Al-Jannah Firdaus and protect the family he left behind.
He stated: “The President was personally pained by the loss. He sent me to London earlier on to go and visit the late President. I was there for two days, and when he answered the call of Allah, the President equally directed me and the Chief of Staff to go and accompany the family and the body of the late President back home.
“And in consultation with President Tinubu, the family of the late President Buhari and the Government of Katsina State, it was unanimously resolved that tomorrow (Thursday), by God’s grace, by noon, we shall all gather here to offer our prayers for the repose of the soul of the late President.”
The Vice President noted that the late former President was not an ordinary person, just as he said, Nigerians from all walks of life were still free to come and offer their condolences to the Government and people of Katsina State.
Shettima said the Katsina state governor would be in the state, and members of the family of the late President would be in Daura to accept condolences.
“But the formal ceremony will come to an end tomorrow based on consultation between His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the family of the late President and the governor of Katsina state,” Shettima said.
Earlier, the Governor of Katsina State, Malam Dikko Umar Radda, said the demise of Buhari was a great loss to the people of Katsina, the nation and Africa in general.
He urged leaders at all levels to sustain the legacies of the late President by ensuring transparency, honesty and accountability in governance, adding that “Buhari lived and died for the people.”
The governor appealed to all Nigerians to continue to pray for the repose of the soul of the late former President.
Radda thanked Tinubu and Shettima for honouring the late former President and the people of Katsina with their presence during the burial.
Also, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, extolled the virtues of the late former Nigerian leader.
“We are here to pray for the repose of the soul of our former leader, President Muhammadu Buhari. May Allah accept his soul. Yesterday, as we all know, the former President was buried here in his compound, and it was witnessed by people from all walks of life, including the President of Nigeria, President Tinubu, GCFR.
“Today we have come to offer condolences and to also offer prayers for the repose of the soul of the former President,” the Minister said.
On his part, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, said he worked closely with the late Buhari as a member of his cabinet, adding that Buhari demonstrated a high sense of leadership, integrity and other leadership qualities.
“Late former President Buhari tried his best to fight corruption at all levels of government. We also tried our best to improve the quality of the Nigerian economy.”
