17/07/2025
Peter Obi Pays Tribute to Buhari: A Lesson in Humility, Legacy, and the Irony of Time
~ By ToksAledareBlog, 17/07/2025
First it was Ijebu Ode. Then Daura. In between, Peter Obi; "Okwute" himself... made a quiet but thunderous statement, not just in words, but in timing.
At the prayers for Nigeria’s late President Muhammadu Buhari, Obi stood among Nigeria’s current power brokers: Shettima, Atiku, Amaechi, Akpabio, El-Rufai, Zulum, Radda... For some, it looked like another obligatory political appearance. For the discerning, it was history’s quiet rebuke to the noisy ones who never understood Buhari’s silent, firm gospel of leadership.
Obi, in his tribute, called Buhari “an upright man who cared for the poor.” Simple words, yes. But words that land differently when spoken by a man who campaigned... and still campaigns; on the altar of poverty alleviation. Words that remind some of us why we stood with Buhari when it wasn’t fashionable to do so.
Obi recalled a conversation with Buhari during the 2022 campaigns:
“Peter, you seem to be everywhere and loved by the people. I wish you the best. Please, if you win, do not forget the poor.”
It’s the sort of line that ages gracefully in history books… or returns to haunt those who heard but failed to heed.
Truth be told, Buhari’s railway revolution spearheaded by Amaechi and his relentless preaching of “consume what you produce, produce what you consume” were not propaganda. They were seeds. Seeds the opposition mocked. Seeds they tried to suffocate with noise, with propaganda, and with sabotage. But time, as always, is the ultimate judge.
The same mouths that laughed then are quiet now. Even Peter Obi, in this moment of national reflection, has vindicated those of us who stood firm, seeing beyond the noise to the substance.
Now, to Bulaba’s loyalists, here’s your cautionary tale wrapped in Obi’s tribute: power is temporary. Legacy is permanent. Buhari is gone, but his footprints... for better or worse... are still being debated, respected, even mourned by those who once criticized him. Your own boss’s policies? The ones choking the poor daily? The ones silencing markets and squeezing homes? Those too will be remembered... but maybe not the way you’d wish.
Obi’s words should humble every leader: Legacies outlive power. When the page turns, what will be written about you cannot be edited by propaganda.
Today, Buhari’s era closes with prayers and quiet tributes. Tomorrow? Another will face the final verdict of history.
For now, Nigeria watches. The poor are watching. And history? History keeps receipts.
© Toksaledareblog
17/07/2025