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Muhammadu Buhari: The President I was reluctant to criticise (Tribute)
By Chekwas Okorie
The news of the death of late President Muhammadu Buhari came to me, and many Nigerians like a thunderbolt. President Buhari was an outstanding statesman and a colossus in all considerations. He benefitted immensely from the special grace of God in his 82 years sojourn on earth, having traversed as a General of the Nigerian Army, Military Governor of Bornu State, Military Head of State of Nigeria and a two-term democratically elected president of Nigeria. My tribute to President Buhari will be limited to the period I met him in the political arena.
As the founder and pioneer National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, l actively participated in the 2003 general election in Nigeria. Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu was our presidential candidate, while General Muhammadu Buhari was the presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP. The elections were keenly contested, and the participation of the Nigerian electorate in the process was huge and unprecedented.
That was President Buhari’s first presidential contest in his tortuous journey to the presidency of Nigeria. The same election was also Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s first presidential contest in Nigeria. The emergence of these two personalities with strong characters scared the ruling party and the military establishments for different reasons. The result of this morbid fear resulted in the massive rigging and manipulation of the election results to the detriment of the candidates of the opposition political parties.
The leaders of the opposition parties promptly mobilized at Abuja, the Federal Capital, for a powerful mass protest that shook the city to its foundation. The protest was led by General Muhammadu Buhari, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Chief Don Etiebet, and my humble self. At the end of the first day of the protest, the leaders agreed to carry on with the peaceful demonstrations across the country. General Buhari and his running-mate, Dr Chuba Okadigbo, proceeded to Kano State to continue the protest.
The massive turnout of supporters was met with the reprisal of armed security operatives who attacked the unarmed demonstrators with a barrage of tear gas canisters. The tear gas was so heavy on Dr Chuba Okadigbo that he collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital. He did not survive the inpact of the tear gas. That tragic outcome compelled us to call off the protests. We took our petitions to the tribunals. In solidarity, I accompanied General Buhari to all his tribunal appearances both at the Appeal Tribunal and Supreme Court until final judgments were entered. I captured these events with relevant photographs in my book titled APGA AND THE IGBO QUESTION.
Fortuitously, President Buhari finally won the 2015 presidential election on the platform of the ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS, APC. I also contested the same election as the presidential candidate of the United Progressive Party, UPP, the second Party that I founded.
In a rare show of sportsmanship in defeat, I led all the members of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of UPP to congratulate the president-elect, at the Defence House in Abuja in advance of his formal inauguration. UPP was the only political party that extended such hand of fellowship to the incoming president. In a one-page congratulatory letter, we advised him to take steps to recover all recoverable of Nigeria’s looted funds.
We opined that if he could recover only 25 percent of the looted funds, he would not need to borrow money to fulfill his campaign promises to the Nigerian people. We further advised him to embark on comprehensive electoral reforms to restore to Nigerians their inalienable rights to elect leaders of their choice at all levels and concluded with a recommendation that his government should restore Nigeria’s federalism to ensure that all federating units were allowed the latitude to develop at their own pace to engender healthy competition among the States and pave the way for the rapid growth and development of the economy.
We remained a friendly opposition to his government for the eight years he was in office. In spite of my friendly disposition to his government, I was saddened and indeed disappointed with his mismanagement of Nigeria’s diversity, which deepened ethnic consciousness and suspicion among Nigeria’s heterogeneous society. I siezed every opportunity to express my disapproval of his nepotistic tendencies in most of my public interventions.
Severally I publicly appealed to him to deploy his special presidential dispensation to direct his Attorney General and Minister of Justice to enter nolle prosequi in the matter Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and order his unconditional discharge from his unjustified incarceration. He was not moved by the passionate appeal of several Igbo elderstatesmen and Ohanaeze Ndigbo to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The truth is that the Igbo feel imprisoned for as long as Nnamdi Kanu is in prison. Nnamdi Kanu remains the symbol of the dilemma of Ndigbo in Nigeria.
On the personal level, late President Muhammadu Buhari showed me friendship. He received me in the presidential villa a few times while in office. At my 70th birthday in 2023, he personally wrote me a touching congratulatory letter where he stated the following, ” I and my family join your family, friends, and well-wishers in celebrating a statesman, who shares many values the founding fathers of Nigeria held dear, including unity in diversity, peace and stability of the Country….you have always been driven by the noble vision of putting the people first at all times and shared prosperity for all.”
Again, at the launch of my book, APGA AND THE IGBO QUESTION, he honored my invitation by sending his Senior Special Adviser on Media, Chief Femi Adesina to represent him as the Chief Guest of Honour, who delivered his highly inspiring message.
I cherish these rare and privileged presidential gestures far more than silver and gold.
Late President Muhammadu Buhari was exceptionally humble, disciplined, and upright.
May his noble soul rest in peace.
Dr. Chekwas Okorie
Ojeozi Ndigbo.
16/07/2025
Hours after Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered issued a bench warrant for the arrest Adeniyi Adeyemi, the controversial Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), is currently in the custody police authorities.
Pictures and videos of embattled PFIPC boss being questioned in what appeared an interrogation session, surfaced on social media on Tuesday evening, with few details still sketchy on whether the police actually hunted him down or he surrendered himself.
Latest information, indicate that he is currently in the custody of the Osun State Police Command, according to a report by Channels Television, who confirmed that he has been taken in.
The order came on the prompting of Wisdom Madaki, the police lawyer after Adeyemi failed to appear in court to take his plea before on an eight-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, which relates to forgery, fraud and impersonation.
The court took the decision despite the spirited efforts by Genesis Francis, Adeyemi’s lawyer to mitigate the situation when he told Umar: “The defendant is afraid for his life. He has to be alive to be able to face trial. They have been looking for him even without an order of court.”
Regardless, the judge, while brushing aside the defence, said he was minded to accede to the application for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against the defendant, noting since case was filed on November 27, 2025, with proceedings not commencing until December 4, 2025, Adeyemi did not appear before the court more than once.
“Since then, he has failed to appear before this court on four consecutive dates,” he said, while mandating security agencies to arrest and produce the embattled PFIPC boss before the court on September 30 for arraignment.
During trial, witnesses including Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff (CoS) to the President; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; and Ituah Sylvester, are billed to testify for the prosecution alongside the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu, as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
The order is coming on the heels of Adeyemi’s outcry that his life was in danger, while debunking the allegation that he was a fugitive running away from the law, saying he would appear in court once he had assurance that he would be protected from those tracking him in attempts to take his life.
A guest of Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television, Adeyemi, had told his host on Monday: “I’m ready to show my face. I’m not hiding. I’m only fearing for my life because I have it on good authority that my life is in danger. There have been several attempts on my life,” Adeyemi added.
He also maintained his allegation that he paid N400 million through a proxy to President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Gbajabiamila, to secure his appointment as DG of the disputed council. I’m ready to show my face. I’m not hiding. I’m only fearing for my life because I have it on good authority that my life is in danger. There have been several attempts on my life.”
An interim police investigation report had exposed how the defendant allegedly forged appointment letters and official documents to create the impression that the PFIPC was a legitimate federal government agency.
Police disclosed that the investigation was initiated after the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on October 17, 2025, over the activities of individuals allegedly forging official appointment letters purportedly issued from the office.
The petition added that preliminary findings showed the forged documents contained falsified signatures, reference numbers, official seals, and the Nigerian Coat of Arms, and that they were allegedly used to appoint individuals into the non-existent PFIPC.
Adeyemi, who was identified as the principal suspect, allegedly presented himself as the DG of the council and operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja.
One of those allegedly linked to the fraud, Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, was said to have died in a fire incident at a hotel in Abuja.
Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Adeniyi Adeyemi, controversial Director-General (DG) of an alleged “non-existent,” Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The order came on the prompting of Wisdom Madaki, the police lawyer after Adeyemi failed to appear in court to take his plea before on an eight-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, which relates to forgery, fraud and impersonation.
The court took the decision despite the spirited efforts by Genesis Francis, Adeyemi’s lawyer to mitigate the situation when he told Umar: “The defendant is afraid for his life. He has to be alive to be able to face trial. They have been looking for him even without an order of court.”
Regardless, the judge, while brushing aside the defence, said he was minded to accede to the application for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against the defendant, noting since case was filed on November 27, 2025, with proceedings not commencing until December 4, 2025, Adeyemi did not appear before the court more than once.
“Since then, he has failed to appear before this court on four consecutive dates,” he said, while mandating security agencies to arrest and produce the embattled PFIPC boss before the court on September 30 for arraignment.
During trial, witnesses including Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff (CoS) to the President; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; and Ituah Sylvester, are billed to testify for the prosecution alongside the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu, as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
The order is coming on the heels of Adeyemi’s outcry that his life was in danger, while debunking the allegation that he was a fugitive running away from the law, saying he would appear in court once he had assurance that he would be protected from those tracking him in attempts to take his life.
A guest of Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television, Adeyemi, had told his host on Monday: “I’m ready to show my face. I’m not hiding. I’m only fearing for my life because I have it on good authority that my life is in danger. There have been several attempts on my life,” Adeyemi added.
He also maintained his allegation that he paid N400 million through a proxy to President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Gbajabiamila, to secure his appointment as DG of the disputed council. I’m ready to show my face. I’m not hiding. I’m only fearing for my life because I have it on good authority that my life is in danger. There have been several attempts on my life.”
An interim police investigation report had exposed how the defendant allegedly forged appointment letters and official documents to create the impression that the PFIPC was a legitimate federal government agency.
Police disclosed that the investigation was initiated after the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on October 17, 2025, over the activities of individuals allegedly forging official appointment letters purportedly issued from the office.
The petition added that preliminary findings showed the forged documents contained falsified signatures, reference numbers, official seals, and the Nigerian Coat of Arms, and that they were allegedly used to appoint individuals into the non-existent PFIPC.
Adeyemi, who was identified as the principal suspect, allegedly presented himself as the DG of the council and operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja.
One of those allegedly linked to the fraud, Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, was said to have died in a fire incident at a hotel in Abuja.
Meanwhile, Adeyemi, who has since denied that the PFIPC was non-existent, demanded an independent, multi-stakeholder investigative panel to probe the controversy surrounding the alleged N1.3 billion budget insertion for the Council in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
In an open letter to President Tinubu, Adeyemi said he was prepared to provide documentary evidence and fully cooperate with investigators once an independent panel was constituted.
He recommended the inclusion of representatives of civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), independent media organisations, international financial institutions, human rights groups, and diplomatic missions, as well as the ICPC and the EFCC, on the independent investigative panel.
Meanwhile, Adeyemi, who has since denied that the PFIPC was non-existent, demanded an independent, multi-stakeholder investigative panel to probe the controversy surrounding the alleged N1.3 billion budget insertion for the Council in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
In an open letter to President Tinubu, Adeyemi said he was prepared to provide documentary evidence and fully cooperate with investigators once an independent panel was constituted.
He recommended the inclusion of representatives of civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), independent media organisations, international financial institutions, human rights groups, and diplomatic missions, as well as the ICPC and the EFCC, on the independent investigative panel.
Abdulrahman Bello, must die for the murder, Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, the Court of Appeal has insisted, rebuffing the attempt of the self-acclaimed Islamic cleric, to upturn the verdict of an Ilorin High Court.
Affirming the earlier death sentence imposed on cleric for the murder of the female student, said to be his lover, on February 10, 2025, at the Olunlade area of Ilorin, which attracted widespread public outrage across Kwara State and beyond, the appellate court said it found no reason to upturn the earlier verdict of the lower court.
Bello, who was one of the five people arraigned on charges bordering on conspiracy, murder, unlawful removal and possession of human parts and blood, also faced a rape charge, of which he was eventually acquitted by the trial court.
Justice Gabriel Omoniyi Kolawole, who led a three-man panel of the appellate court, while dismissing his appeal, held that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that he murdered the victim and was unlawfully in possession of human parts.
The appellate court consequently upheld the judgment of the Kwara State High Court, which sentenced Bello to death by hanging and imposed an additional 10-year jail term over his conviction for unlawful possession of human parts.
The court held that there was no merit in the appeal and consequently affirmed both the conviction and the sentence imposed by the trial court.
According to the appellate court, the trial court properly evaluated the evidence before it and rightly concluded that the prosecution established the offences beyond reasonable doubt.
The appellate court said it believed the position of Ibrahim Sulyman, Kwara State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Issa Zakari, Chief State Counsel, and B.L. Abdulsalam, Assistant Chief State Counsel, who led the prosecution.
Hailing the judgment as another significant milestone in the state’s criminal justice administration, Sulyman, said in a statement: “The judgment underscores the commitment of the Kwara State Ministry of Justice and the judiciary to ensuring that criminal cases are determined strictly in accordance with the law and the evidence presented before the courts.
“It also reaffirms the principle that persons found guilty of grave offences, after a fair trial, will be held accountable under the law. The appellate court’s decision would strengthen public confidence in the justice system.
“The affirmation of the conviction and sentence represents another milestone in the administration of criminal justice and reinforces public confidence in the rule of law and the appellate process. The convict still retains any further rights of appeal available to him under the Constitution and other applicable laws.
Justice Hannah Ajayi of the Kwara State High Court, sitting at Ilorin, hand on July 2025 sentenced Bello to death after finding him guilty of murdering and dismembering Lawal, after describing his act as “the highest degree of human wickedness, and a premeditated and cold-blooded act.”
Dismissing Bello’s claims that he loved the deceased and intended to marry her as merely an afterthought designed to deceive the court, Ajayi, also ruled the convict’s conduct after committing the crime and before his arrest suggested that it might not have been his first involvement in such an act, while a book on money-making charms recovered from his apartment further strengthened the prosecution’s case.
Justice Ajayi further held that the video and written confessional statements obtained by operatives of the Department of State Services and the police were lawfully admitted in evidence, dismissing Bello’s allegation that he was tortured into making the confessions.
While acquitting Bello of the rape charge, the trial court convicted him of murder and unlawful possession of human parts, sentencing him to death by hanging for the murder and imposing a 10-year prison term, with an option of a N100,000 fine, for the human parts offence.
The court also discharged and acquitted the four other defendants in the case — Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Suleiman Muhydeen, Jamiu Uthman and Abdulrahman Jamiu — after holding that the prosecution failed to establish their involvement in the offences.
Reacting to the High Court judgment at the time, the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, described the killing as tragic and commended the judiciary for ensuring justice.
“The gruesome murder of Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal was pathetic, unfortunate, regrettable and worrisome,” the monarch said in a statement issued by his Press Secretary, Abdulazeez Arowona.
“The judgment has further brightened the hope and trust of the people in the judiciary and security agencies. May Almighty Allah repose the soul of the late Hafsoh Lawal and comfort her family members.”
The monarch also urged parents and guardians to be vigilant and closely monitor the activities and movements of their children and wards to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
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