By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka in Abuja
The Northern Senators Forum (NSF) felicitates His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, on his 70th birthday.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, Chairman of the Forum, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, described the milestone as a celebration of a life devoted to service, sacrifice, leadership and national unity.
Senator Yar’Adua recalled the Sultan’s distinguished career in the Nigerian Army, where he rose to the rank of Brigadier-General. He noted that the monarch served in peacekeeping operations across Africa, held military commands, worked in presidential security, and represented Nigeria in diplomatic service.
“His military career prepared him for an even higher responsibility — providing traditional and spiritual leadership to millions of Nigerians following his emergence as the 20th Sultan of Sokoto in 2006,”Yar’Adua said.
The Forum praised the Sultan’s role over the past two decades as a voice for peace, tolerance, interfaith dialogue and national cohesion.
It highlighted his consistent engagement with leaders across religious and ethnic divides, and his advocacy for peaceful coexistence as critical to Nigeria’s stability at a time when the nation needs wisdom and reconciliation.
“The Northern Senators Forum joins millions of Nigerians in thanking Almighty Allah for granting His Eminence 70 years of a life of service and impact,”_ the statement said.
The Senators prayed for Allah’s continued blessings of sound health, wisdom and strength upon the Sultan, and wished him many more years of purposeful service to the Sultanate, the Muslim Ummah, the North and Nigeria.
