The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen has disclosed what the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, told him after he became Speaker of the 10th House.

In his tribute at a special expanded Federal Executive Council session in honour of ex-President Buhari at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, Speaker Abbas recalled how, in 2011, he was first elected to represent Zaria Federal Constituency at the House on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a party founded by Buhari.

Abbas said: “President Buhari was no ordinary figure in our national journey. He embodied quiet strength, moral clarity, and an unshakable sense of duty. At a time when society was seduced by materialism, he chose a life of modest means and meaningful service. He was devoted to family and steadfast in his Islamic faith. His humour and humility softened his disciplined exterior. 

“Buhari’s belief in the brevity of life and the certainty of judgment shaped his ascetic lifestyle and guided his public conduct. He lived not for applause or affluence but for principle, for country, and for the cause of a better Nigeria," Abass said.

He added: “Years later, in 2023, during a brief meeting in the United Kingdom, he warmly welcomed me following my election as Speaker. His counsel was clear: lead as a servant, never as a master. Those words, simple yet profound, have remained my compass.

The Speaker Abbas said that Buhari was a true partner in democracy, stressing that he respected the independence of the legislature and urged his ministers to engage constructively with parliament.

He further added that Buhari signed into law several landmark bills that opened political space to young people, strengthened the country’s electoral processes, and laid the foundation for economic reform. 

Abass said that the ex-president’s development vision reached beyond the present and into the future.

He stated that the roads, railways, and bridges he built are lasting gifts to generations yet unborn.