President Muhammadu Buhari has saluted the former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, and first national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on his 84th birthday, characterizing him as a true statesman and a man of the masses.

In commemorating the occasion, the president in a statement by his media aide, Garba Shehu, paid homage to the sacrifices of one of the champions of the nation’s democratic struggle, a man he says rose from humble beginnings to occupy the party’s highest constitutional position through hard work and discipline. President Buhari said Chief Akande will continue “to bask in the sun as a true statesman and a symbol of sacrifice, bravery, and moral integrity.” He wished him many more years of service to the party and the nation.