Shagari’s grandson pplauds Tinubu for honouring Buhari, laments Buhari’s snub of Shagari

 Nura Muhammad Mahe, a grandson of Nigeria’s former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the honour accorded to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as a gesture of statesmanship and national healing.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mahe praised Tinubu for personally attending Buhari’s funeral and instituting a high-level committee to coordinate a befitting state burial, noting that the move reflects “deep respect for national leadership and democratic continuity.”

“President Tinubu’s actions are a breath of fresh air in our political culture, where honouring predecessors has often been marred by partisan bitterness,” he said.

Mahe, however, used the opportunity to draw attention to what he described as the “painful and disappointing” treatment of his grandfather, Shehu Shagari, by the Buhari administration during his passing in December 2018.

“Despite being in the country at the time, President Buhari neither attended Shagari’s funeral nor granted him a state burial. Instead, he dispatched a delegation led by the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha — a non-Muslim — to represent the government,” Mahe said.

He described the gesture as a national slight and a source of lingering pain for the Shagari family and many Nigerians who believed the former president deserved more honour.

“To many, it felt like a deliberate snub. Shagari was not just a former head of state; he was Nigeria’s first democratically elected Executive President and a symbol of civilian rule. He deserved better,” he added.

While urging leaders to rise above personal and political differences in the treatment of national icons, Mahe said President Tinubu had set a commendable example that should guide future administrations.

He concluded with prayers for the repose of all former Nigerian leaders, noting that their contributions, however controversial or celebrated, remain part of the country’s national journey.