Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has paid tribute to the late former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as an illustrious statesman, a committed African patriot, and a true friend of Ghana.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Monday, the former President expressed sadness over the passing of Mr Buhari, who he said had “travelled the way of all flesh” yesterday, when he was reported to have died.
He recalled their close working relationship during their respective presidencies, particularly in spearheading critical regional security initiatives and promoting African integration.
“The redoubtable Muhammadu Buhari was an outstanding Nigerian patriot and a staunch African integrationist,” Mr Akufo-Addo stated. “He was well-known to us in Ghana, which he visited often in his youth and belonged to the generation of young West Africans who became involved in the tumultuous events of the early years of independence, including the Nigerian Civil War.”
He noted that their collaboration produced notable results such as the Accra Initiative, a framework designed to counter terrorism, violent extremism, and organised crime across West Africa and the Sahel.
He also commended Buhari’s role in Nigeria’s commitment to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which he said significantly boosted the prospects of the initiative’s success.
“His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, will be remembered for his exemplary patriotism, his commitment to a united Nigeria, and his deep concern for the social and economic development of the Nigerian people,” he noted.
