Nura Muhammad Mahe, a grandson of Nigeria’s former President Shehu Shagari, has commended President Bola Tinubu for honouring the late Muhammadu Buhari with a state burial, while drawing attention to what he described as the past administration’s neglect of his grandfather.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Mahe described Tinubu’s decision to personally attend Buhari’s funeral and establish a committee to organise the ceremonies as “a mark of honour and national unity.” He said the gesture reflected a commitment to preserving national values regardless of political differences.

“This is in stark contrast to how the late President Shehu Shagari was treated during the administration of Muhammadu Buhari,” Mahe stated.

Shagari died in December 2018 at the age of 93. Mahe recalled that although Buhari was in Nigeria at the time, he neither attended Shagari’s funeral nor approved a state burial for the country’s first democratically elected executive president.

“Instead, a government delegation led by the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who is notably a non-Muslim, was dispatched to represent him,” Mahe said.

He added that the absence of a formal state ceremony for Shagari under Buhari’s administration remains a painful memory for the family and many Nigerians who viewed Shagari’s leadership as a significant chapter in the country’s democratic journey.

“It remains a painful memory that Shagari’s death occurred under the leadership of a man who many believe harboured political animosity toward him. Even in death, Buhari showed little public remorse or respect for his predecessor,” Mahe said.

President Buhari overthrew Shagari in a military coup in December 1983, ending the Second Republic. Although both men later shared public appearances, tensions over their past political history remained a point of commentary among observers.

Mahe offered prayers for all departed Nigerian leaders, stating that their contributions—whether viewed positively or otherwise—form part of the country’s collective history.