President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Tuesday urged religious leaders to use this period to pray for Nigeria and admonish their followers to take the appropriate lessons from Prophet Muhammad’s life in their commitment to the country.
Tinubu, in a statement by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, congratulated Muslims in Nigeria and beyond on this year’s Eid-el-Maulud celebration, charging them to live by the teachings of Prophet Muhammad.
“Nigeria has arrived at an important juncture. While the government is taking all necessary measures to make the country secure and economically viable, we need the full support of the citizenry in the form of patriotism, patience, and prayers. The light is certainly bright at the end of the tunnel,” the president said.
He said beyond celebrating the day marking the birthday of the Holy Prophet, the period should be used for deep introspection and fervent prayers.
“Adherents should make deliberate efforts to adhere to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. There are great lessons of devotion, perseverance, tolerance, humility and selflessness that we can all learn from the life of the Prophet,” he said.
Tinubu also urged Muslims celebrating the Maulud festival to extend their hand of fellowship to the needy and vulnerable in the spirit of the season while praying for the country and her leaders at all levels.
In his message, Vice President Kashim Shettima implored all Nigerians to keep faith with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu’s administration targeted at making a difference in the lives of our people while using this memorable occasion to reflect on temporary challenges we might be facing.
He said with mutual commitment and joint efforts, “we will surmount every setback and collectively walk and march hand in hand our great nation to its rightful place and position amongst comity of nations.”
Similarly, a former vice president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, urged religious leaders in the country to use their position to preach peace, tolerance and unity.
Atiku, in a message by his media aide, Paul Ibe, also urged Muslims to emulate the examples of the noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW) through upholding teachings of honesty, forbearance, tolerance and commitment to peace.
He asked Nigerians not to “despair amidst the uncertainties and difficulties they may be going through at the moment, but to be prepared to join hands with other compatriots in the task to reposition and rebuild the country of our dream by manifesting the virtues of compassion and commitment to peace.”
In the same vein, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Barau Jibrin, in separate statements by their spokesmen, Eseme Eyiboh and Ismail Mudashir, also urged all Muslims to emulate the Prophet’s virtues of patience, perseverance and message of peace towards the collective goal of a greater and more peaceful nation.
Also, the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria, FCT chapter, in a statement by her chairperson, Hajiya Medina Nadabo, implored Muslims to always showcase the virtues of trusworthiness, generosity, kindness, love, tolerance, good neighborliness, and peaceful coexistence.
By Muideen Olaniyi, Baba Martins & Abdullateef Salau
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