Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and principal officers of the National Assembly were conspicuously absent when officers and men of the Presidential Brigade of Guards held a special parade to mark President Muhammadu Buhari’s 74th birthday on Saturday.
The parade which was held at the forecourt of the President’s office inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja was attended by a few ministers, presidential aides and service chiefs.
The brief event also featured the inspection of quarter guard, inspection of the guard of honour, silent drill display, signing of a birthday register, cutting of the birthday cake and the traditional release of pigeons to signal peace.
Giant birthday cards were also presented to the President at the strictly military event.
In an interview with State House correspondents, 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.”
Those in attendance included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari; Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammed Bello; and Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, among others.
