Former Bayelsa State governor and serving senator, Seriake Dickson, has paid glowing tribute to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, praising him for showing rare political maturity by respecting opposition voices and refusing to turn the judiciary into a political tool during his tenure.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Buhari passed away on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at a hospital in London, United Kingdom, at the age of 82 after a long illness.

At special sessions held on Wednesday, members of the National Assembly honoured the late president with moving tributes, urging President Bola Tinubu to immortalise him by naming a national monument in his memory.

In a heartfelt post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, Dickson reflected on his interactions with Buhari, noting that despite sharp political differences, the late president demonstrated remarkable restraint even at tense political moments.

“Buhari never discriminated between APC and PDP states; he was fair to all,” Dickson wrote. “During the 2015 general election — the toughest governorship contest I have ever witnessed — Buhari directed all security agencies and INEC to act fairly. Even though implementation on the ground was imperfect, it was reassuring to see a sitting President uphold the principles of fairness and the rights of the people.”

He added that in 2020, as his own tenure as governor ended and his successor’s election approached, Buhari again maintained a neutral stance:

“Even when results were leaked and controversy erupted less than 24 hours to my handover, Buhari never once attempted to influence the judiciary. He allowed the law to take its course.”

Dickson recalled that after the courts eventually declared Governor Douye Diri the winner, Buhari responded with humour:

“When he later saw Governor Diri, he simply joked that the governor and I must have had more control over the judiciary — and then he laughed.”

The senator noted that although he strongly opposed some of Buhari’s policies — including leading South-South governors to protest the removal of Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen — Buhari never targeted him or any other opposition leader for retaliation.

He also commended Buhari’s non‑partisan approach to national economic interventions, citing the 2015 financial bailout crafted by Buhari’s administration and then–Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to save states from collapse during the recession:

“Buhari did not discriminate between APC and PDP states. He made sure the bailouts went to all. Without those interventions, many states would have gone under.”

Concluding, Dickson expressed condolences to Buhari’s family, the Government and people of Katsina State, the Daura Emirate, and President Tinubu, while honouring Buhari’s legacy as a leader who — despite political divides — respected the law and upheld the principles of fairness