Saratu Shagari: An embodiment of grace, humility, quiet strength

The last surviving wife of former President Shehu Shagari, Saratu, has been described as an embodiment of grace, humility and quiet strength. The eldest son of the former president, Captain Bala Shagari, also noted that Hajiya Saratu Shagari lived a life of dignity. Similarly, a post by Bygone Narratives on Facebook describes Mrs Shagari as […]

The last surviving wife of former President Shehu Shagari, Saratu, has been described as an embodiment of grace, humility and quiet strength.

The eldest son of the former president, Captain Bala Shagari, also noted that Hajiya Saratu Shagari lived a life of dignity.

Similarly, a post by Bygone Narratives on Facebook describes Mrs Shagari as “the last matriarch of Nigeria’s Second Republic.” It noted that Mrs Shagari passed at the age of 89, adding that “a defining chapter in Nigeria’s post-independence history quietly came to a close as she was the last surviving spouse of the former president, who led Nigeria’s Second Republic from 1979 to 1983.”

“Known for her grace, humility and deep sense of duty, Hajiya Saratu remained a steady presence through her husband’s political journey – from his early days as a teacher and parliamentarian to his presidency and beyond.

“While she largely lived away from public attention, those who knew her described her as a woman of warmth, quiet strength and unwavering faith.

“Her life reflected the virtues of an era when leadership was defined by service and modesty. To her family, she was a matriarch who upheld values of respect and compassion; to history, she stands as one of the last living links to Nigeria’s formative years of civilian governance.

“As the Shagari family announced her passing, tributes poured in from across the nation, celebrating a woman who, though seldom in the limelight, embodied the poise and dignity of Nigeria’s first elected presidential household,” the post reads.

The late President Shagari led Nigeria from 1979 to 1983 under the National Party of Nigeria before his government was overthrown in a military coup led by the late Major-General Muhammadu Buhari.

Shagari died in December 2018 at the age of 93.