President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday marked his 74th birthday in a low key with members of the Presidential Guards Brigade holding special parade for him.
The brief ceremony was held at the fore court of the Presidential Villa , Abuja. The president cut his birthday cake and released 74 pigeons at the occasion.
He also signed the birthday register and penned his thoughts : “Impressed, efficient drill”.
Three ministers, service chiefs and other top government officials graced the occasion.
Those in attendance included the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali and Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal.
The presidential aides at the birthday parade included the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari; Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina; Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Diaspora, Abike Dabiri, and the Permanent Secretary, State House, Jalal Arabi.
The presidential aides presented Buhari with a giant birthday card that has the seal of the president and his portrait on the cover at the end of the parade.
The inscription, ‘Happy Birthday’ was boldly written on the card. The Minister of Information also presented his own birthday card to the President.
Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the parade, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonishakin, said: “We are celebrating the birthday of the President and we wish him well and good health.
“We wish him all the goodness of God as he pilots the affairs of our nation to greater heights,” he said.
On his part, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, said: “He is a great man and we are very pleased with his accomplishments over the years. He is a good leader.”
At the end of the ceremony, Buhari left the Villa for Transcorp Hilton to meet leaders of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) towards prevailing on the Gambia’s President, Yahya Jammeh, to hand over power to the president-elect.