- * As He Marks 79th Birthday In Istanbul, Turkey
By Janet Bassey (Governance Reporter)
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, December 17, 2021, marked his 79th Birthday in faraway Istanbul, Turkey. He used the opportunity to give a hint on how he would spend his retirement in office when he quits power in 2023 as Nigeria's President.
The President who said he deliberately dogged his birthday celebration in Nigeria with his official trip to Turkey, said he was deeply surprised when the Nigerian delegation ambushed him with an already prepared modest birthday celebration in Turkey.
Buhari used the opportunity of the celebration to re-assure Nigerians that contrary to whatever speculations, we must retire from office in 2023 after his constitutional two-tenure as President. He revealed that he would return to his farm in his home town, Daura in Katsina state.
He made these disclosures during his birthday celebration organised by officials of his delegation to the third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul, Turkey and hosted by the President of the Republic of Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
According to a statement at the weekend by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu, Buhari cut his 79th birthday cake moulded in the green-white-green national colours to start the day, before going on to chair a planning meeting with officials in his delegation.
Shehu Garba said thereafter, President Buhari drove to the Dolmabahce Palace for a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Presidential media assistant also said in response to the tributes on the occasion on behalf of the ministers and the rest of the delegation rendered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Buhari said he would put in his best for Nigeria until his last day in office in 2023 when he would hand over to a successor and return to his farm to tender crops and livestock.
President Buhari said: “I thought that being away from Abuja, I will escape these things (his birthday celebration razzmatazz). 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 will 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 said.
Garba Shehu also said in the statement that as President Buhari stepped out of his hotel suite and moved to the meeting room, he met a surprise line-up 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.”
Foreign Affairs Minister, Geofrey Onyeama, who spoke on behalf of the delegation and the Ambassador of Nigeria to Turkey, Ismail Yusuf Abba, however, congratulated Buhari 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.
The Minister particularly noted that President Buhari has continued to enjoy relatively good health, getting better and more active with time.
However, in continuation of his administration's sustained efforts at keeping Nigerians safer, President Buhari said the country would partner with Turkey in dealing with the current security challenges facing the nation.
He dropped this hint at a bilateral meeting with his Turkish host leader, President Erdogan, shortly before the official commencement of the 3rd Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul.
Buhari acknowledged that Turkey already had a wealth of experiments in dealing with issues of security challenges of various kinds, adding that Nigeria will learn lessons in this regard from Turkey.
“Turkey has practical experience dealing with challenges over the years and Nigeria stands to gain from that", President Buhari said. NNL.
