President Buhari greets Obasanjo at 79.

Leading opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Mohammadu Buhari laughs during an interview on February 6, 2015. Nigeria's main opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari on Friday told AFP he was expecting to win next week's presidential election by a wide margin, despite talk of a close race. The February 14 poll, in which he is challenging incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, has been seen as too close to call, leading to a possible run-off if neither man secures a first-round majority. AFP PHOTO /STRINGER

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, as he turns 79 years today.

Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, affirmed that the former president, who is approaching the octogenarian cycle, has contributed immensely to the institutionalization of democracy in Nigeria and Africa through his personal sacrifice, extensive local and international networks and God-given wisdom.

The President believed that Chief Obasanjo’s place in global history is assured for successfully handing over power to a civilian government in 1979 after serving as a military Head of State, and returning to power in 1999 through elections to stabilize the polity, during which he most remarkably negotiated a debt relief for Nigeria.

He also commended Chief Obasanjo’s vision and commitment to the growth of Nigeria and Africa, which translated into a historical growth rate of 6 per cent for the Nigerian economy after a long period of slow growth, and also created a rippling effect that buoyed other African economies.

Obasanjo’s regular shuttles across Nigeria and Africa to counsel on economic, social and political issues, and his willingness to head election monitoring teams that have heralded smooth transitions in many countries, Buhari noted, are legacies which generations will remain grateful.

He prayed that the Almighty God will grant the Balogun of the Owu lineage, who is also the Ekerin Balogun of the Egba clan, long life and strength to continue his service to humanity.

 Also, former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Dame Florence Ita Giwa, has congratulated her former  boss,  Chief  Obasanjo, as he celebrates his  birthday  .

In a statement, Ita Giwa  prayed God to endow him with more wisdom and good health so that he can continue to strengthen democracy and mentor upcoming leaders in Africa and the global stage.

The statement reads in part: “I want to use this medium to congratulate my boss and a world leader at 79. A leader whose commitments and dedication to nation building cannot be faulted.

“I thank God Almighty for his life and I am proud of his passion for Nigeria,  Africa and the world at large. Ex President Obasanjo is a diplomat and a colosus whose wealth of experience is being tapped by African nations in consolidating the gains of democracy and strengthening institutions.

“As Baba celebrates 79, I wish him many more years in good health, wisdom and service to his fatherland. His legacies will endure after him and history will always remember him for good because he has already written his name in good and on the sands of time”