Tinubu, Shettima mourn former finance minister Abubakar Alhaji

President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday paid tribute to former Minister of Finance and elder statesman, Abubakar Alhaji, who died after a brief illness, describing him as one of Nigeria’s most accomplished public servants.

Shettima travelled to Sokoto, where he led mourners at the Janaza (funeral prayers) of the late Sardauna of Sokoto and paid a condolence visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, to sympathise with the royal family.

Speaking after offering prayers for the deceased, the Vice President described Alhaji as “a behemoth of institutional memory” whose contributions to nation-building would not be forgotten.

“He will be remembered for his service to the nation,” Shettima said, adding that the Federal Government would immortalise the late elder statesman.

He prayed for Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest and give his family the strength to bear the loss.

In a separate condolence message, President Tinubu expressed profound sadness over the death of the former finance minister, describing him as “a titan of public service, a consummate bureaucrat and a patriot.”