The President, Major Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), got a surprise 79th birthday celebration on Friday in Istanbul, Turkey.
The surprise birthday celebration was organised for Buhari by government officials in his delegation to Turkey, according to a statement by the president’s spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu.
The presidential aide narrated that as Buhari stepped out of his suite moving to a meeting room, he met a surprise lineup of the Nigerian delegation with a cake decorated in Nigeria’s national colours.
The group broke into a chorus, as they began chanting “Happy Birthday, Mr. President”.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, was said to render tribute on behalf of the ministers and the rest of the delegation.
Onyeama congratulated the President on the “good work he is doing for the country”, and wished him a happy birthday, many healthy years ahead and the energy to give his best to the nation.
Onyeama noted in particular that the President continues to have a good run with his health, getting better and more active with time.
Buhari later cut the birthday cake moulded in national colours, green-white-green, to start the day, went straight to chair a planning meeting with officials in his delegation and thereafter drove to the Dolmabahce Palace for a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Tayyip Recep Erdogan.
In response to the tribute, Buhari said he will put in his best for Nigeria until the last day when in 2023 he hands over to a successor and returns to his farm to tender crops and livestock.
“I thought that being away from Abuja I will escape these things. The Guards Brigade had written to tell me what they wanted to do on this day. Now here you are doing this far away from home.
“I look forward to the year 2023 when I finish, to go home to take charge of my farm. Between now and that time, I will do the best that is possible to advance the interest of the nation and its people, and carry out my duties as prescribed by the Constitution,” he was quoted as saying.
Copyright PUNCH.
