Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Wednesday, congratulated former President Olusegun Obasanjo on his 88th birthday.
Mbah described Obasanjo as “a consummate nationalist and Nigeria’s gift to the world”.
He disclosed this via his verified X handle. According to him, “Chief Obasanjo is an international icon, elder statesman, consummate leader, and quintessential global citizen, who by dint of tenacity, hard work, and fate has played important roles in Nigeria’s political development and in shaping African and global affairs.
“He midwifed the transition to democratic rule as a military ruler in 1979 and, as a man of destiny, he emerged from a widely condemned incarceration to take up the onerous task of rebuilding Nigeria’s international image and economy as the first elected president in the current democratic dispensation in 1999.”
He stated that Obasanjo’s love for his country and Africa “is never in doubt”, adding that, “it is my pleasure to salute and celebrate Chief Obasanjo, the Balogun of Owu Kingdom, a pan-Nigerian, unapologetic patriot, pan-Africanist, and a man of courage and principle on his special day.”
Mbah, on behalf of the government and good people of Enugu State, prayed to God to grant Chief Obasanjo “many more years in sound health that we may continue to draw from his wealth of knowledge, experience, and international goodwill as we strive to build the Nigeria of our dreams.”