President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio has paid glowing tribute to former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a spartan leader who never embezzled public funds.

‎Akpabio stated this at an expanded Federal Executive Council (FEC) session held in honour of Buhari at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday.

‎He said Buhari’s enduring legacy lay in integrity, not extravagance and in devotion to nation building rather than personal gain.

‎Akpabio, who served as a minister under Buhari, noted that even Buhari’s fiercest critics respected his forthrightness.

‎”President Buhari believed that discipline mattered. That integrity mattered. That leadership, even when lonely, must be anchored in something greater than power.”

‎”He did not seek to ride waves of popular acclaim; he walked, with steadiness and often in solitude, along the ridge of national conscience.”

‎”Let us be honest he was tough. He was a soldier who did not flinch under fire, a leader who did not flee from responsibility, and above all, a Nigerian whose loyalty to this nation was never up for sale.”

‎”His toughness was born not of pride, but of patriotism, a fierce, unrelenting belief that Nigeria, with all its challenges, was still worth fighting for.”

‎Akpabio hailed Buhari’s lifelong commitment to Nigeria, both as a soldier and civilian leader.

‎”Whether in khaki or agbada, he remained firm in his belief that Nigeria was worth fighting for,” Akpabio said.