Nura Muhammad Mahe, grandson of Nigeria’s late former President Shehu Shagari, has commended President Bola Tinubu for granting former President Muhammadu Buhari a full state burial—an honor he says was conspicuously withheld from his grandfather when he passed away in 2018.
In a statement issued from Sokoto, Mahe praised Tinubu’s personal attendance at Buhari’s funeral and the formation of a high-level committee to oversee the burial arrangements, calling it “a unifying act of statesmanship.” However, he contrasted this with the treatment of Shagari under Buhari’s administration, describing it as a painful omission rooted in unresolved political history.
A Coup’s Shadow Over Presidential Legacies
Mahe’s remarks revive memories of December 31, 1983, when then-General Muhammadu Buhari led a military coup that toppled Shagari’s democratically elected government. Decades later, when Shagari died in December 2018, Buhari—then serving as civilian president—declined to attend the funeral or authorize a state burial, despite being in the country at the time. Instead, he sent a delegation led by then-Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.
“This was a man who served as Nigeria’s first Executive President, yet in death, he was denied the recognition he deserved,” Mahe lamented. “It felt like old wounds were left unhealed.”
A Question of Reconciliation
While Buhari later visited Sokoto to sign a condolence of an official state burial for Shagari remained a point of contention. Analysts have long debated whether the snub reflected lingering tensions from the 1983 coup or simply an oversight.
Mahe, however, struck a conciliatory tone, urging Nigerians to emulate Tinubu’s example by honoring past leaders irrespective of political differences. “Leadership is about rising above grievances,” he said. “We must acknowledge our history—both its triumphs and its conflicts—to move forward.”
Silence from Buhari’s Camp
Efforts to get a response from associates of the late Buhari proved futile. His former spokesman, Garba Shehu, declined to comment, while other officials cited mourning as the reason for their silence.
