President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Bola Tinubu as a pillar of Nigerian democracy hours before his 67th birthday, this Friday.
Buhari eulogised Tinubu, a two-time former Governor of Lagos, in a statement on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
“President Buhari joins the APC family in celebrating the Asiwaju of Lagos, who is also the Jagaban of Borgu Kingdom in Niger State, for his selflessness in serving his country, and making life better for many.”
Recalling the contributions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, he praised him for standing up against the annulment of the June 12 elections by General Ibrahim Babangida which led to a political exile from Nigeria.
Tinubu returned after the exile to emerge Lagos State first governor after Nigeria became democracy from 1999 to 2007.
The President praised Tinubu’s protracted battle with the Federal Government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to release Lagos State funds it withheld, and his “uncompromising posture in the face of injustice and refusal to follow the path of least resistance for personal gains stand him out today as a rare breed and one of the cornerstones of Nigeria’s democracy, especially with his track record of persistence, consistency and effective leadership.”
The statement added: “As the father of modern Lagos State, the president commended the visionary and inclusive leadership style that the Asiwaju provided for the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria for eight years, laying the foundation for a modern and technologically driven city, and ensuring that every successive leader in the state sticks with the masterplan of a greater Lagos.”