Deep emotions took the better part of Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umar Radda, Tuesday, when he wept like a baby as he watched the mortal remains of former President Muhammadu Buhari laid to rest in his home in Daura.
Radda, 56, had been fighting back tears as Tuesday’s funeral progressed and moved near its climax. But the governor soon caved to emotions as the late leader’s body was being lowered into the grave. He wept as if his lachrymal gland had burst.
The video of the very moving scene went viral on X and other social media platforms. It was one of the most touching scenes recorded during the funeral programme at Daura.
Since former President Muhammadu Buhari passed on at 82 in The London Clinic at the British capital on Sunday, Governor Radda had done a yoeman’s job coordinating with both the Family of the two-time Nigerian leader, and the Federal Government all in a bid to ensure a befitting national burial.
He was with the Family in London, before rushing back home in Katsina to personally take charge of the planning of the funeral arrangements in collaboration with the Federal Government.
He and his team collaborated with the Federal Government Burial Committee to ensure a seamless event. Indeed, Governor Radda and President Tinubu who gave the event the federal might, were there in Daura, particularly Buhari’s home, till everything was over.
In his tribute at the funeral, Radda, who, prior to his election as Katsina State Governor on May 29, 2023, was the director-general of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), described the late President Buhari as “an embodiment of the common man’s aspirations,” adding that he had lost “a father figure whose footsteps I have endeavoured to follow.”
“From his early days as a military leader to his transformative presidency, President Buhari never forgot his roots,” Radda continued,
“He remained connected to the soil of Katsina and the hearts of its people. His passing leaves an irreplaceable void in our collective consciousness.
“As we mourn this irreparable loss, we must also celebrate a life well-lived in service to humanity.
“President Buhari’s legacy of putting people first will continue to inspire generations of leaders.”
