Chiemelie Ezeobi 

Former Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (Rtd), CFR, has paid glowing tribute to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, describing him as a towering national figure whose life embodied “unmatched devotion and dignity.”

In a heartfelt statement issued on 14 July 2025, Gambo, who served as the 21st Indigenous Chief of the Naval Staff from 2021 to 2023, said the death of the elder statesman was not just a personal loss but a national tragedy.

“With a deeply saddened heart and total submission to the will of Almighty Allah (SWT), I pay tribute to a towering figure in our national history, our beloved father, leader and elder statesman, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR,” he said. “His passing is not only a monumental loss to his immediate family, but to the entire Nigerian nation, which he served with unmatched devotion and dignity.”

Gambo praised the late President’s military and political career, describing him as a courageous soldier, a disciplined leader, and a selfless patriot.

“As a soldier, General Buhari stood tall with courage, unwavering discipline and an incorruptible spirit. As a statesman and former President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, he embodied the highest ideals of public service, personal sacrifice and national commitment,” he said.

Recalling his own appointment as Chief of the Naval Staff in January 2021, Gambo described the trust placed in him by Buhari as “one of the greatest privileges” of his life.

“I recall with immense gratitude and humility his entrusting me with the honour of serving our nation as Chief of the Naval Staff, in January 2021. That appointment, which lasted until the end of his tenure in 2023, remains one of the greatest privileges of my life,” he said.

Gambo also remembered President Buhari’s last major military assignment—a Presidential Fleet Review hosted by the Nigerian Navy in Lagos in May 2023.

“I have very fond memories of hosting him at the Navy’s Presidential Fleet Review in Lagos, a week before he left office. It was his last major military assignment as President and Commander-in-Chief, and an opportunity to commemorate the transformation of the Nigerian Navy under his leadership,” he noted.

Describing Buhari as more than a Commander-in-Chief, Gambo said he regarded him as “a father figure who was firm yet fair, deeply principled and constantly invested in the well-being and professional growth of those under his leadership.”

“In his quiet and unassuming style—he was never one to seek adulation or publicity for what he did—he offered boundless support to me and the other Service Chiefs—investing in the welfare of our personnel, and the acquisition of new hardware and equipment, and giving us the space and the confidence to fulfil our mandate,” he added.

Gambo extolled Buhari’s legacy of integrity and simplicity, noting that his governance style and personal ethics inspired generations.

“President Buhari’s integrity was his enduring signature. In a world too often swayed by transient gains, he remained unmoved, anchored in honesty, simplicity and love for his country. His deep compassion for the poor and the less privileged reflected in his policies and personal conduct,” Gambo said.

He also recalled his mother’s deep admiration for the late President and the joy she felt when he was appointed by Buhari.

“There was no bigger fan of his than my mother, and her joy was indescribable when I was named the Chief of Naval Staff by a President she deeply admired and had followed for decades. One of her best moments was paying him a personal visit after he left office, and she joins the millions of people who now deeply mourn him,” he said.

Despite the national mourning, Gambo expressed hope that Buhari’s legacy would endure in the institutions he strengthened and the lives he touched.

“Though his physical presence is no longer with us, his spirit lives on in every institution he strengthened, every reform he championed, and every life he touched,” he said. “His family and Nigerians will find solace in the knowledge that he served his people with honour, left this world with dignity, and will forever be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders in our nation’s history. His legacy is a light that will never fade, Insha Allah.”

Gambo concluded his tribute with prayers for the repose of the former President’s soul.

“As we bid him farewell, I pray that Almighty Allah (SWT) grants him Aljannah Firdaus. May He also grant strength and peace to his beloved family and to all of us who mourn the passing of a great patriot,” he said.

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