President Muhammadu Buhari has described Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as “a reliable and dedicated deputy, who is not only admirably competent but also exudes confidence and passion in the performance of his job.”

Garba Shehu, the president’s spokesman, in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, quoted Buhari as saying this in a message to celebrate Mr. Osinbajo on his 64th birthday Monday (today).

“I’m proud to have selected Osinbajo as my running mate, and he has given a good account of himself since our journey began in 2015,” said Mr. Buhari.

According to him, Mr. Osinbajo is a cool-headed gentleman who puts Nigeria’s interest above other narrow considerations.

“Vice President Osinbajo is an incredibly patient politician, who demonstrates remarkable intellectual and mental energy in the discharge of his duties,” he further noted.

Similarly, the Northern Governors’ Forum described Mr. Osinbajo as a patriotic Nigerian who had combined character, professionalism, and pragmatism in handling national issues.

In a statement, the Chairman of the forum, Governor Simon Lalong, said, “As northern governors, we have enjoyed tremendous cooperation of the vice president who gives us a listening ear at individual and collective levels and engages us on how to tackle the challenges of our region and the nation.

“Among other things, we cherish his leadership of the National Livestock Transformation Programme, which seeks to usher Nigeria into the threshold of modern livestock business, capable of ending the negative consequences of open grazing in the country. We assure the vice president of our continued collaboration as he supports the president to deliver his promises to the people.”

(NAN)