Akpabio celebrates Shettima at 60, hails resilience, patriotism, service to Nigeria

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, GCON, has celebrated the Vice President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, describing his years in public service as a journey defined by courage, resilience, intellectual depth and unwavering commitment to the nation.

In a birthday message to the Vice President, Akpabio said Shettima’s latest milestone provides an opportunity not only to celebrate another year of his life but also to reflect on the footprints he has left across Nigeria’s political and public service landscape.

Akpabio noted that Shettima’s progression from Commissioner to Governor of Borno State, Senator and eventually Vice President reflects a career shaped by service and leadership, particularly during some of the most challenging periods in the country’s recent history.

According to him, Shettima demonstrated exceptional courage while serving as Governor of Borno State at a time when terrorism posed a grave threat to the lives and livelihoods of citizens and tested the resilience of the state.

“Yet you remained at your duty post, providing leadership in the face of danger and demonstrating that adversity must never be permitted to extinguish hope,” Akpabio said.

The Senate President said the experience Shettima acquired during his years of public service has continued to shape his contribution to national governance as Vice President.

He described the Vice President as bringing to the Tinubu administration a combination of experience, resilience and patriotic commitment, particularly in the implementation of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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Akpabio also highlighted the partnership between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Shettima, saying their “unity of purpose” at the highest level of government remains important as Nigeria confronts its economic, security and developmental challenges.

He said the country requires leaders capable of confronting present difficulties while simultaneously laying the foundations for a more prosperous and stable future.

The Senate President stressed that Shettima’s birthday should therefore be viewed not merely as the celebration of an individual milestone but as an opportunity to acknowledge the years the Vice President has devoted to the service of Nigeria.

“On this special day, I celebrate not merely the addition of another year to your life, but the years you have invested in the service of our fatherland,” Akpabio said.

He prayed for continued good health, wisdom, strength and fulfilment for the Vice President, expressing hope that Shettima would continue to contribute meaningfully to the progress of the country.

Akpabio further prayed for divine guidance and strength for Shettima as he continues to serve Nigeria, while expressing hope for a country characterised by peace, unity, economic prosperity and global respect.

“May the years ahead bring us ever closer to Nigeria for which generations have hoped and laboured—a nation at peace with itself, confident in its diversity, prosperous in its economy and respected among the nations of the world,” he said.

The Senate President concluded the tribute with birthday wishes to the Vice President and prayers for the continued progress and prosperity of Nigeria.

“Happy Birthday, Mr Vice President. May God bless you, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Akpabio said.