Tinubu joins Buhari, Marwa for Juma’at prayers

As part of ongoing celebrations for his inauguration, the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, joined the outgoing President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), on Friday afternoon for Juma’at prayers at the State House Mosque.

The president-elect’s media advisor, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, made this revelation in a statement that was released in Abuja.

Before Monday’s swearing-in ceremony, where he is anticipated to take his final bow from office, Buhari had invited the former governor of Lagos to join him in his final public prayer session at the State House Mosque.

Senator Ibikunle Amosun, a former governor of Ogun State, General Buba Marwa, the head of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mallam Shehu Garba, the senior special assistant to the president for media and publicity, and a few other presidential aides were among those who observed the Juma’at with them.

The official handover rituals got under way on Thursday with the induction of the President-elect and his Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, into the highest national honours and the delivery of the handover paperwork to the incoming president.

Muslim prayers and an interdenominational Christian service were scheduled for Friday and Sunday, respectively, according to the statement. Similar prayer sessions were scheduled across the nation, while the two events were scheduled to take place in Abuja at the National Mosque and the National Ecumenical Centre.

“On Monday, May 29, when the former governor of Lagos takes the oath of office as the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 16th president, the events will come to a head. Vice President-elect Senator Shettima attended the well-attended prayer service at the National Mosque on behalf of President-elect Tinubu.

“At both mosques, the imams prayed for the incoming administration’s prosperity and asked Allah for guidance so that Tinubu and his deputy might direct the country towards bigger goals. Additionally, they urged Muslims to always honour their leaders and their nation in their prayers, as prescribed by Islam.

After attending the prayers at the State House, Tinubu addressed the media and said that he had come to the president’s side to pray with him, asking Almighty Allah to help him carry out his duties as president successfully.

The President-elect also declared that he would draw from the wisdom and understanding of Sheikh Abdulwahid Suleiman, the Chief Imam of the State House Mosque, who reminded the politicians of the need of placing their trust in those in authority.