Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has said while alive, late President Muhammadu Buhari never honoured anyone the way President Bola Tinubu did to him.
Tinubu had declared a public holiday on the day Buhari was buried, personally attended his burial, also named a federal institution after the late Nigerian leader, among other recognitions
Sani described the actions as unprecedented and deserving of acknowledgment.
In a post on X, Sani highlighted the series of gestures Tinubu undertook to honour his predecessor.
These include a declaration of a public holiday, physically attending Buhari’s internment, meeting his family, holding a Federal Executive Council meeting in his honour, and renaming a university after him.
“The President physically attended the burial of Buhari, met with his family, declared a public holiday, held a FEC meeting in his honor and renamed a university to immortalise him.
“Something even the late President never did to others. And yet they said he is ‘exploiting the death of Buhari’.
“What would they have said if he had done none of the above? Politics is something else,” the senator tweeted.
The post has continued to generate reactions, amassing over 1,000 likes as of the time of filing this report.
Sani’s remark came amidst growing political commentary over the conduct of the Tinubu administration in the aftermath of Buhari’s passing, particularly from sections of the opposition.
His statement appeared to be a direct counter to criticism from parties such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which had accused the administration of using Buhari’s death to polish its public image.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Mr Sunday Dare, dismissed ADC’s claims as “nothing but an opportunistic exercise in manufactured outrage.”
Dare said it was ironic that the same group accusing the President of politicising Buhari’s death was the one “dancing on his grave” for public attention.
“Their latest press release alleging that President Tinubu’s government is ‘exploiting’ the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari for political gain is not only dishonest.
“It is an insult to millions of Nigerians who genuinely mourned the loss of a statesman, and who watched the State Burial accorded Buhari with solemn respect and dignity,” he said.
He added that the burial was conducted with complete honour befitting a former leader, with dignitaries from across the world in attendance, and millions of citizens following the events across media platforms.
According to him, President Tinubu is not seeking cheap popularity but allowing “his growing list of achievements to speak louder than the noisy irrelevance of groups like the ADC.”
