Buhari and I were admitted to same hospital before his death – Abdulsalami

• According to him, no sooner had he been discharged than he was informed of Buhari’s death.

Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has disclosed that he and late President Muhammadu Buhari were receiving medical care in the same hospital in London shortly before he passed away.

Abdulsalami made the disclosure in an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday. According to him, no sooner had he been discharged than he was informed of Buhari’s death.

He said that he had paid a condolence visit to Buhari’s family and also assisted with the flying of his remains to Nigeria for internment.

He said, “We were actually in the same hospital. I had been discharged, and not long after, I heard the sad news. I went over to condole with the family and help with arrangements to prepare his body for the journey back home.”

He said his relationship with Buhari started in 1962 when they both joined the Nigerian Army, adding that though he was his senior, they were in the same division during the civil war and fought side by side.

“He was my senior, and we both fought in the same area during the Civil War,” he explained.

He described Buhari as a reticent and disciplined leader who remained consistent throughout his life.

“He was a gentleman, very quiet and brutally honest,” he said. “You could trust him with anything and be certain he would never betray you.”

Speaking on Buhari’s years in office, Abdulsalami noted that the former president made a genuine push to fight corruption, even though not all his appointees lived up to expectations.

“He did his best to tackle corruption during his time as a democratic president,” he said. “Sadly, some of those around him fell short and didn’t deliver as hoped.”

He added that Buhari’s death was a heavy loss not just for Nigeria but for the wider West African region.

“With Buhari gone, Nigerian politics may take a new turn. I only hope it changes for the better,” he added.