The National Convener of the political group National Agenda for Tinubu 2027 (NAFT.27), Dr Aliyu Ibrahim, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rename the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, in honour of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, Dr Ibrahim described such a move as a fitting national tribute to Buhari’s legacy as a two-time Nigerian Head of State, whom he credited with symbolising unity and discipline in public office. Buhari passed away on 13th July 2025 in a London hospital after a prolonged illness.
“This honour,” Ibrahim asserted, “will not only immortalise Buhari’s name but also strengthen the bonds of unity between North and South. Naming the airport after him would reaffirm our shared national identity and mutual respect across regions.”
Dr Ibrahim, a political scientist and member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), commended President Tinubu’s recent decision to rename the University of Maiduguri after Buhari, describing it as a laudable gesture. He argued that the airport renaming would further consolidate Buhari’s legacy.
He also hailed Buhari as a “transformed democrat,” referencing his political journey marked by three unsuccessful presidential bids before his 2015 election victory — a feat he attributed in part to Tinubu’s political alliance. Ibrahim maintained that Buhari’s leadership built a lasting political bridge that deserved commemoration through national symbols.
At Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting, President Tinubu publicly reflected on Buhari’s death, describing him as “a man of integrity, discipline, and deep patriotism.”
“President Buhari was not a perfect man — no leader is — but he was, in every sense, a good man, a decent man, and an honourable man,” Tinubu remarked at the State House, Abuja.
The president further praised Buhari’s moral restraint, highlighting his resistance to the trappings of power and his humility after leaving office in 2023. “His modesty and detachment from power were uncommon and exemplary,” Tinubu said.
He also commended the swift action of the Inter-Ministerial Committee and Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, for organising Buhari’s state burial within 48 hours — a move Tinubu said gave the late leader the dignity befitting his status.
Concluding his tribute, Tinubu paid homage to Buhari’s legacy: “Mai Gaskiya — the People’s General, the Farmer President — your duty is done. May the Almighty Allah forgive your shortcomings and grant you Aljannah Firdaus. Nigeria will remember you.”
As of press time, the presidency has yet to issue an official response to the airport renaming proposal.
