Bisi Akande gets honored by Tinubu at 85.

Ajuri Ngelale, the President's Special Advisor on Media and Publicity, signed a statement that said as much.

"President Tinubu Celebrates His Longstanding Ally, Chief Bisi Akande, At 85" was the heading of the article.

Between 1999 and 2003, Tinubu honored his longtime comrade, the President of Lagos, when they served as governors. Both ran on the platform of the now-defunct Alliance for Democracy and prevailed.
"President Bola Tinubu celebrates his longtime confidant, Chief Bisi Akande, as he marks his 85th birthday on January 16, 2024," the statement said, with a heart full of joy and thankfulness to God.Chief Akande, CFR, served as the All Progressives Congress's first acting national chairman as well as the governor of Osun State from 1999 to 2003.
Tinubu praised Akande's tenets of justice, truth, integrity, and loyalty, remembering his extraordinary journey as a leader and his selfless devotion to Nigeria.

Baba had a key role in the All Progressives Congress, our wonderful party, being founded. He has always been a progressive; he has always held logical and enlightened goals and been honorable and disciplined in his thoughts and deeds.

He is a trusted confidant and friend who is always so giving of his insightful advice. I applaud him," Tinubu said in closing.

In his 82nd birthday speech in 2021, former President Muhammadu Buhari referred to the former governor of Osun State as "one of the biggest and strongest pillars of democracy in the country."

Akande cautioned against designating APC members who disagree with the party's policies or beliefs as opposition agents earlier in December 2023.