MINNA, Niger State — Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday jokingly told retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar that he and former military head of state General Yakubu Gowon would not be around when Abdulsalami celebrates his 100th birthday.
The light-hearted remark came during the celebration of Abdulsalami’s 84th birthday held at his residence in Minna, Niger State. The event brought together several former leaders, top military officers, statesmen, and family members who gathered to honour the retired general who played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s transition to democracy in 1999.
Obasanjo, known for his sharp wit and occasional controversial utterances, delivered the joke as he offered a toast to the celebrant. He prayed for Abdulsalami to reach the century mark but quickly added that he and Gowon, who are both older than Abdulsalami, would not be present to witness that milestone. The comment drew laughter and applause from the audience.
Abdulsalami Abubakar, who turned 84, served as Nigeria’s military head of state from June 1998 to May 1999. He assumed leadership following the sudden death of General Sani Abacha and oversaw a brief but transformative transition programme that culminated in the handing over of power to Obasanjo as a democratically elected president. That transition marked the end of military rule in Nigeria and the beginning of the Fourth Republic.
Gowon, who was Nigeria’s military head of state from 1966 to 1975 and led the country through the civil war, is the oldest of the three former leaders. Obasanjo himself served as military head of state from 1976 to 1979 before becoming a democratically elected president from 1999 to 2007.
The birthday celebration provided a rare moment of camaraderie among the aging statesmen, who have collectively shaped much of Nigeria’s post-independence history. Despite their differences in the past, the three former leaders have maintained a cordial relationship in their twilight years, often appearing together at national events and funerals of their contemporaries.
Guests at the event included serving and retired military officers, traditional rulers, politicians, and members of the diplomatic corps. Tributes poured in for Abdulsalami, who is widely credited for his role in stabilising the country after Abacha’s sudden death and for keeping his promise to hand over power to a civilian administration within one year.
Abdulsalami has since remained active in national and international peace-building efforts, chairing the National Peace Committee that has overseen several general elections. He has also mediated conflicts across Africa and served on various diplomatic missions for the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Responding to Obasanjo’s joke, Abdulsalami took it in good spirit, thanking his fellow former leaders for attending the celebration. He acknowledged his advanced age and expressed gratitude to God for preserving his life and health to witness another birthday surrounded by family and friends.
Observers noted that the light-hearted exchange highlights the enduring bond among Nigeria’s surviving former leaders, even as the nation prepares for future transitions. For now, Abdulsalami continues to enjoy his birthday, while Obasanjo’s jest lingers in the air: a reminder that time, the ultimate equaliser, spares no one, not even the most powerful.
