Why I didn’t attend Buhari’s burial

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said that he and other senators were unable to attend the burial of former President Muhammadu Buhari due to a lack of parking space at the Katsina Airport.

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Mr Buhari died on Sunday at a London Clinic after a prolonged illness. The former president, who has served the country both as a military officer and as an elected president, died at the age of 82.

He was buried on Tuesday in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State.

In honour of the former president, the federal government had declared Tuesday a public holiday and ordered that flags be flown at half-mast for a week.

The burial attracted friends and political associates, including President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, serving and former governors, and ministers.

Why we couldn’t attend Buhari’s burial – Akpabio

Mr Akpabio and some of his colleagues did not attend the burial held on Tuesday in Daura.

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In a post on his official Facebook page, Mr Akpabio explained that their aircraft could not land at Katsina Airport due to lack of space.

Mr Akpabio, however, returned to Katsina on Wednesday to condole with the family of Mr Buhari, who was the president from 2015 to 2023. Mr Akpabio served as the minister of Niger Delta Affairs in Mr Buhari’s administration.

“Yesterday (Tuesday), after several attempts by the pilot to land our aircraft in Katsina State, due to traffic and lack of parking space in the airport, we had to return to Abuja, and as such, we couldn’t attend the burial ceremony of our late former President.

“Today (Wednesday), in company of some of my distinguished colleagues, I paid a condolence visit to the family of the late former President Buhari.

“We offered prayers for the repose of the soul of our late President and for Allah to give the wife, children, the larger Buhari family, friends, and associates the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss.

“We were also at the residence of the Emir of Daura, Umar Faruk, to condole through him, the people of the Emirate on the demise of our late Leader.

“We also visited the Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, to condole the people of Katsina State, through him,” Mr Akpabio wrote on Facebook.

In the picture of the condolence visit posted on Facebook, Mr Akpabio is seen with other colleagues, including Borno South senator, Ali Ndume, and Delta North Senator, Ned Nwoko, praying for the bereaved family.