Former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has revealed that he was admitted to the same London hospital as former President Muhammadu Buhari shortly before Buhari’s passing.
Buhari died on Sunday at the age of 82 after a prolonged illness.
In an interview with Channels Television, Abdulsalami shared that he had only just been discharged when he received the news of Buhari’s death.
“Unfortunately, we were in the same hospital together. But I have been discharged,” he said. “So, when I heard the news of his passing away, I quickly went there to condole the family and see what could be done to get the corpse ready to be taken home.”
Looking back on their long-standing relationship, Abdulsalami recalled that their paths first crossed in 1962 when both joined the Nigerian military.
“He was my senior, and during the unfortunate civil war, we were fighting in the same sector with him,” he recounted.
Abdulsalami hails Buhari
He praised Buhari as “a gentleman who was very quiet and exceptionally honest,” adding, “You can trust Buhari with anything on this earth and he will not betray you.”
On Buhari’s legacy in office, Abdulsalami acknowledged his commitment to fighting corruption, although he admitted that not all members of his administration lived up to expectations.
“When he became a democratic president, he tried his best to fight corruption. Unfortunately, some of the officers who served with him are found wanting. They didn’t do as much as was expected from them,” he said.
He described Buhari’s passing as a “big blow” to both Nigeria and the wider West African region, commending President Bola Tinubu for sending Vice President Kashim Shettima and Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila to London to oversee the repatriation of the late leader’s remains.
“That shows the magnitude of what has befallen Nigeria,” Abdulsalami noted.
“With the passing away of Buhari, politics in Nigeria will certainly change — I hope for the better,” he concluded.
