BREAKING: North West Governors Declare Tuesday Holiday for Buhari’s Final Rites
The North West Governors Forum has declared Tuesday, July 15, 2025, a public holiday across the seven states of the region in honour of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on Sunday at a hospital in London.
According to a report by PUNCH, this was made known in a statement signed by the Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Umaru Radda. The governors described Buhari as “our father, our leader, and the pride of the Northwest region.”
“The Northwest Governors Forum receives with shock and deep sorrow the news of the passing of our beloved former President, General Muhammadu Buhari. He lived a life of service, integrity, and sacrifice for the betterment of Nigeria,” Radda said.
According to the statement, the decision to declare a regional public holiday was unanimously agreed upon by all the governors in the zone as a symbolic gesture of respect and mourning.
Buhari’s remains are expected to arrive in Katsina, his home state, at around 12 noon on Tuesday, with Islamic burial rites scheduled to take place in Daura by 2 p.m.
“We call on all Nigerians to join us in prayers for the peaceful repose of his soul,” Radda added.
The Forum also extended condolences to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the immediate family of the deceased, the people of Katsina State, and the entire nation, noting the depth of loss felt across Nigeria.
Buhari, a retired Major General, first served as Nigeria’s military Head of State from 1983 to 1985 before returning decades later as a democratically elected President from 2015 to 2023. He was widely known for his spartan lifestyle, anti-corruption rhetoric, and his prominent role in shaping Nigeria’s modern political history.
As preparations for his state burial continue in Daura, tributes have continued to pour in from national and international leaders, all paying homage to one of Nigeria’s most consequential post-independence figures.
PUNCH
