President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other prominent Nigerians including his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi have felicitated Muslims in Nigeria as they join the world to celebrate this year’s Eid-el-Kabir on Wednesday. The leaders in
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other prominent Nigerians including his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi have felicitated Muslims in Nigeria as they join the world to celebrate this year’s Eid-el-Kabir on Wednesday. The leaders in separate statements enjoined Muslims to embark on good deeds, show mercy and compassion.
President Tinubu described Eid-el-Kabir as a “festival of sacrifice and total obedience to Allah as exemplified in the exceptional action of Prophet Ibrahim.” He urged Muslims to emulate the values of Prophet Ibrahim and multiply good deeds. His words: “There is no greater sense of duty ever recorded in history outside the ennobling example of Prophet Ibrahim in offering his only son Ismail as a sacrifice to Allah.
“The best way by which we can demonstrate this example is in how we conduct ourselves in relation to our fellow citizens and our duties to our beloved country. We must imbibe and manifest those values inherent in Prophet Ibrahim’s life, namely; complete devotion to Allah, tolerance, patience, perseverance, selflessness, love and compassion”,he said.
The President assured Nigerians of his commitment to reform the economy stressing that: “At the moment, our country is going through some challenges, especially with our struggling economy and simmering security challenges. “While I acknowledge all of these, I want to assure you that they are not insurmountable. I am working day and night with my team, fleshing out solutions. We have started with the decisions taken so far, to reform our economy and remove all impediments to growth.
“As we embrace the present challenges, we must face the future with vigour and Renewed Hope with the confidence that our tomorrow shall be better and brighter.”
Former President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement issued by his former media aide, Garba Shehu appealed to Nigerians to support his successor as he wished Muslims a successful Hajj. According to him: “Leading a country like Nigeria is one of the hardest challenges in life,” noting that, “leadership is a challenging task that demands the sacrifices and support of the citizens.”
In his message, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said the significance of the festival is “the profitability of being patient with God in our affairs as human beings, and most especially, as Muslims.”
Alhaji Abubakar called on Nigerians to follow the footsteps of the prophets, “especially Prophet Mohammed, which means that we must live our everyday life as a sacrifice, not just for our families, but the communities where we find ourselves. “Nigeria is currently in need of prayers. We must continue to ask God Almighty to show His blessings upon the country and to elevate Nigeria to a path of peace, harmony, and prosperity,” he stressed.
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party ( LP) in the 25 February Presidential election, Mr Peter Obi charged Nigerians not to allow the prevailing hardship and provocative attitudes of leaders in the country to affect their faith in God. Mr. Obi charged Nigerians to devote themselves to the values that unite and bind all citizens in love while permanently putting behind all divisive tendencies. His words: “An intense prayer for our dear country has become very necessary more than ever before as our nationhood is in dire need of divine intervention to survive.
“Our economy is already under severe stress, the currency is losing value daily, unemployment and inflation rising at unprecedented speed, and people living in multi-dimensional poverty are increasing by the day.”
