Late president Muhammadu Buhari (Right) and former president Nana Akufo-Addo
Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has paid a glowing tribute to the late former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as an exceptional patriot and a committed integrationist whose leadership left a lasting imprint on West Africa and the continent at large.
In a post shared on his Facebook page on Monday, July 14, 2025, Akufo-Addo wrote, “The redoubtable Muhammadu Buhari was an outstanding Nigerian patriot and a staunch African integrationist. 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.”
Akufo-Addo noted that Muhammadu Buhari was deeply involved in the events that defined Nigeria’s early post-independence years, including the Nigerian Civil War.
“He was well known to us in Ghana, having visited often in his younger years, and belonged to that generation of West Africans shaped by the turbulent early years of independence,” he stated.
He recalled their collaboration during his presidency, particularly in the formation of the Accra Initiative, a regional security framework designed to combat terrorism, violent extremism, and transnational organised crime, especially in response to the threat of extremist infiltration from the Sahel to Coastal West Africa.
“As presidents, we collaborated in many ways including successfully hammering out the Accra Initiative, a potent blueprint on strengthening operational collaboration against terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organised crime and the downward drift of terrorist activities from the Sahel to the Coastal States. He led the mighty Federal Republic of Nigeria to sign up for the African Continental Free Trade Area, thereby enhancing considerably its prospects of success,” he added.
Akufo-Addo also highlighted Buhari’s key role in Nigeria’s decision to sign on to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), describing it as “a significant boost” to the success of the historic trade pact.
“Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, will be remembered for his exemplary patriotism, his tireless pursuit of a unified Nigeria, and his unwavering dedication to the social and economic advancement of his people,” the former President concluded.
Muhammadu Buhari first came to power in 1983 through a military coup and returned over three decades later as a civilian president in 2015, marking one of the most unexpected political comebacks in Africa.
He died in London on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the age of 82.
Read his post below:
JKB/MA
Meanwhile, you can watch GhanaWeb TV’s exclusive interview with Arathejay below:
