Shehu Sani slams critics: Tinubu’s Buhari tributes not political ploy

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani has strongly defended President Bola Tinubu against accusations of exploiting the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari for political gain.

In a statement posted on his X handle on Saturday, July 19, 2025, Sani highlighted the extensive measures Tinubu took to honour his predecessor, arguing that they reflect genuine respect rather than political opportunism.

Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2015 to 2023 and as a military ruler from 1983 to 1985, passed away in a London hospital on July 13, 2025, at the age of 82.

Following his death, Tinubu led a delegation to Daura, Katsina State, to receive Buhari’s remains, attended the burial, and met with the late president’s family.

The government declared a public holiday on July 15, 2025, rescheduled a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting to July 18 to hold a session in Buhari’s honor, and renamed the University of Maiduguri as Muhammadu Buhari University to immortalize his legacy.

Sani emphasized that these actions were unprecedented, noting, “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 immortalize him, something even the late President never did to others.”

He questioned the critics’ motives, asking, “What would they have said if he had done none of the above? Politics is something else.”

The tributes, including a seven-day national mourning period and flags flown at half-mast, drew mixed reactions.

Some, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alleged Tinubu was seeking northern sympathy ahead of the 2027 elections.

Sani dismissed these claims as baseless, arguing that Tinubu’s actions demonstrated statesmanship and respect for a leader who made history as the first opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent president in 2015.