President Bola Tinubu has asked Nigerians to rededicate themselves to nation-building, as they celebrate Eid-el-Fitr, an Islamic festival that marks the end of Ramadan fast.
The president stated this in his Sallah message to the nation.
The president, in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, his special adviser on media and publicity, felicitated with the Muslim faithful in Nigeria and all around the world, praying that their supplications and sacrifices this season, would receive rewards from God.
Tinubu appealed to all citizens to come together and rededicate themselves to the noble duty of building the nation.
“We are the sculptor, and Nigeria is the clay; we build it the way we desire,” Tinubu said.
Also, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, congratulated Muslims for the successful completion of the Ramadan fast and called on them to pray for Nigeria as they celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2023, in a statement by his office on Tuesday, said that lessons of Ramadan should stay beyond the fasting.
He noted that while this year’s Ramadan was observed in a season of tough economic conditions, the forbearance with which Nigerian Muslims adopted it ‘is a principle that Prophet Muhammed (SAW) enjoins us to live by at all times.’
“For many Nigerians who observed the mandatory Ramadan fasting this year, the reality of the harsh economic environment in the country put many families and individuals under intense pressure.
“But in the face of this daunting challenge, many people pulled through out of seeking piety. The completion of Ramadan should cause a reflection on those in positions of authority to show more compassion to the people.
Obi, on his part, urged Nigerian Muslims to use the window availed by Sallah to seek Allah’s intervention in Nigeria’s situation.
Obi charged the people not to allow the prevailing hardship in the country affect their spirit of love, brotherliness and peaceful co-existence.
He urged the people to use this year’s Eid-el Fitri to show the spirit of oneness and re-dedicate themselves to love, patriotism and unity for national development.
Obi, a former Anambra State governor, noted that the two major faiths Christianity and Islam coming out of their fasting period should allow the solemnness of the holy months to influence their thoughts and actions in relating with one another and thinking about the future of the country.
He described as discomforting the amount of blood being shed in the country daily and asked that the situation be taken to Allah for intervention.
