Tinubu Felicitates THISDAY Editorial Board Chairman, Olusegun Adeniyi, at 60

•Lauds his dexterity, brilliance, knack for excellence

•Tanimu Yakubu: He’s the quiet force of Nigerian journalism

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid glowing tribute to the Chairman of THISDAY Editorial Board, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, on the occasion of his 60th birthday.

The president, in a tribute, hailed the celebrator’s dexterity, brilliance and knack for excellence in whatever he does as reflected in the books authored so far by him.

President Tinubu, in the eight-paragraph release stated, inter alia: “Dear Segun, with great delight, I extend my congratulations to you on your 60th birthday today.

“Turning 60 is an important milestone. I join your friends and family to celebrate you on this special day.

“As a journalist and one of our nation’s most-read columnists, you have set the pace for disciplined conversations and informed commentary.

“You have also remained a significant voice and conscience of many Nigerians through your dispassionate treatises on developments in our nation.

“As spokesman to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, you acquitted yourself well. As chairman of the editorial board of THISDAY newspapers, you have kept to the rubric of the noble profession of journalism.

“I commend your dexterity, brilliance, and knack for excellence, clearly evident in the many best-selling books you have authored. You are one of our nation’s prolific chroniclers, and the fourth estate of the realm is fortunate to have you as an esteemed member.

“I thank you for your contributions to scholarship, and I pray that as you celebrate your diamond jubilee, God Almighty will grant you many years of good health.”

Also, a former Chief Economic Adviser to former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Alhaji Tanimu Yakubu, while celebrating with Adeniyi described the foremost journalist as a quiet force of Nigeria’s journalism.

According to a statement personally signed, he said, “Segun Adeniyi stands today as one of Nigeria’s most enduring journalistic voices — a man whose pen has defined public discourse for more than three decades.

“As he turns 60, his name has become synonymous with integrity, courage, and the rare gift of turning complexity into clarity.

Adeniyi’s journey from the bustling newsroom of THISDAY to the nation’s conscience through his celebrated Friday Column reflects a career built not merely on reportage but on reflection — a lifelong search for truth told with balance and humility.

“His writings are never shrill, but always sharp; never self-righteous, but always guided by conscience. In an age of noise, he remains a voice of reason — measured, factual, and fair.”

Yakubu further said, “As Chairman of the Editorial Board of THISDAY Newspapers, Adeniyi’s influence extends beyond commentary. He has mentored generations of young journalists, instilling in them the ethos of accuracy, accountability, and patriotism.

“His books — from Power, Politics and Death to Against the Run of Play — offer rare insider chronicles of Nigeria’s political evolution, written with the candor of a participant-observer and the discipline of a historian.

“Those who know Segun Adeniyi describe him as calm to a fault, principled without pretence, and blessed with a deep faith in Nigeria’s possibility. He writes not to impress but to instruct; not to condemn but to illuminate.

“Each column, each book, each speech affirms his belief that ideas still matter — and that journalism, at its best, is an act of public service. At 60, Segun Adeniyi remains the conscience of Nigeria’s newsroom — a chronicler of power, a guardian of truth, and a quiet custodian of national memory.

“His life and work remind us that moral clarity and professional excellence are not mutually exclusive, and that in telling the Nigerian story with empathy and honesty, one man’s pen can become a nation’s mirror,” he said.