By Emeka Blast 
Akpabio Hails Tinubu’s Burial as Impressive During Buhari Tribute Event (VIDEO)
Senate President Godswill Akpabio sparked widespread confusion and amusement during a Senate plenary session on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, when he mistakenly declared that Nigeria was “very proud” of how “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was honored and buried” while delivering a tribute to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari. The gaffe, captured in a viral video shared by Africa Independent Television (@AIT_Online), occurred as Akpabio commended the Tinubu administration for its role in organizing Buhari’s state funeral in Daura, Katsina State, on July 15.
“The whole country is very proud of what this administration has done, in the way and manner President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was honored and was buried. President Buhari was honored and buried rather,” Akpabio said, quickly correcting himself amid murmurs in the chamber. The slip-up referred to Buhari, who passed away on July 13, 2025, at a London hospital at age 82, after a prolonged illness. His funeral, attended by President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and international dignitaries, featured full military honors and a 21-gun salute, with Tinubu personally receiving the body in Katsina.
The video, which spread rapidly on X with hashtags like #AkpabioGaffe, drew mixed reactions. @Kolaqhazim noted, “Akpabio quickly corrected himself, but the clip is already viral,” while @DueProcessWorld quipped, “May God answer Akpabio’s unconscious prayers,” reflecting public amusement. Critics like @Uchechukwubiaf4 labeled it a “massive blunder,” with some, like @bidsman, speculating it was intentional to distract from other issues, such as protests against Tinubu’s policies. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) seized on the incident, accusing Tinubu of exploiting Buhari’s burial for political gain, a claim the presidency dismissed as “opportunistic” and “unconscionable.”
Akpabio’s error comes amid heightened scrutiny of Tinubu’s administration, which has been praised for honoring Buhari with gestures like renaming the University of Maiduguri after him and declaring a public holiday. However, the ADC’s Bolaji Abdullahi criticized the “choreographed” tributes as a bid to bolster Tinubu’s image in the North, where Buhari’s 12 million loyalists remain a key political bloc. The presidency countered, with Sunday Dare stating, “Nigerians are not fooled by the ADC’s venomous noise.”
This isn’t the first such gaffe; Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma made a similar error at a recent event, mistakenly referring to Tinubu as deceased. The repeated slips have fueled online memes, with @calabargist_ joking, “Akpabio’s mouth is faster than his brain.”
