The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has described the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari as the end of a remarkable chapter in Nigeria’s national history.
Oba Ogunwusi, in a statement by his Director, Media and Public Affairs, Otunba Moses Olafare, believes that while death is a divine passage that no man can escape.
The revered monarch emphasised that kings and leaders of great legacy are not mourned, they are celebrated, for their footprints in the sands of time remain long after they have transitioned to the ancestral realm.
Ooni Ogunwusi extolled the late President as a resilient leader, a disciplined soldier, and an unrepentant patriot, whose life symbolised selfless service, firm belief in the unity of Nigeria, and a lifelong commitment to national development. From the battlefield as a gallant military officer to the highest office in the land as Commander-in-Chief, President Buhari was a man who gave his all to the cause of the Nigerian nation.
Referring to a recent meeting with the former President, the Ooni stated that, “He was in a very high spirits, strong and jovial as usual, as he attended to him with maximum courtesy. It is shocking to realise that he is no more, but I think that in itself is a lesson to everyone here on earth.
“As a true son of the North, an esteemed elder statesman of the Nigerian federation, a pan-African per excellence, Muhammadu Buhari stood for integrity, frugality, and unwavering devotion to the ideals of a better Nigeria. His place in our national consciousness remains etched in gold, and history will be kind to his memory,” Ooni remarked.
The Ooni of Ife further noted that though President Buhari may have physically departed, his legacy as a nationalist, a reformer, and a bridge-builder between generations and ethnic divides lives on. The monarch urged Nigerians across tribes, religions, and political affiliations to draw inspiration from his firm belief in Nigeria’s unity and strive to uphold the values of peace, equity, and progress.
On behalf of the Yoruba race, the entire House of Oduduwa worldwide and traditional institutions across the country, Ooni Ogunwusi offers heartfelt condolences to the Buhari family, Federal government of Nigeria, Kastina State Government, Associates, colleagues, people of Daura Emirate community, people of Katsina State, and Nigerians across the world.
May the Almighty God grant his departed soul eternal rest in Aljanah Firdaus and console his family and the loved ones he left behind.