July 18, (THEWILL) — The daughters of late former President Muhammadu Buhari have expressed their appreciation to Nigerians who forgave their father for any perceived wrongs during his lifetime.
Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s Head of State from 1984 to 1985 and later as a civilian President from 2015 to 2023, died on Sunday, July 13, in a London hospital. He was laid to rest on Tuesday in his hometown, Daura, Katsina State, in accordance with Islamic rites.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, Hanan Buhari, one of his daughters, shared her grief over the loss of her father and reflected on what she would miss the most.
“What I will miss most about him is his sense of humour. I look up to him as a part of me,” she said.
She went on to thank Nigerians who had chosen to forgive the late leader, saying, “We have nothing to say to them except thank you. Thank God.”
Hanan added that her father meant well for the country and always saw himself as part of the ordinary people. “He had good intentions toward Nigerians. He was one of the common people,” she said.
Also speaking, Buhari’s eldest daughter, Hadiza, popularly known as Nana, recalled one of her last conversations with her father while he was receiving medical treatment abroad.
“During his treatment, I went to London to check on him. After he got better, I told him I was returning to Nigeria. When I said, ‘Dad, I’m going,’ he asked, ‘Where are you going?’ I replied, ‘I’m going back to Nigeria,’ and he said, ‘Greet Nigerians,’” she recounted.
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