President Bola Tinubu has hailed Abdulsalami Abubakar, former head of state, for choosing “honour and integrity over the allure of power” during Nigeria’s transition to civilian rule in 1999.
Tinubu spoke in Abuja on Saturday at the public presentation of three books in honour of Abubakar to mark his 84th birthday.
Abubakar served as Nigeria’s military head of state from June 9, 1998, to May 29, 1999, when he handed over power to Olusegun Obasanjo, ushering the country’s current democratic dispensation.
Tinubu described the former head of state as “one of Nigeria’s most outstanding and courageous leaders, a true statesman, a soldier-democrat, a passionate bridge-builder, a dependable patriot and a noble gentleman”.
“At a critical juncture in Nigeria’s political history, Gen. Abubakar, by providence, assumed leadership amid uncertainty and apprehension,” the president added.
“He made a solemn commitment to restore democratic governance and, despite
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