Few hours to the Eid-el-Kabir, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Dr Sa’ad Abubakar, has urged Muslims to offer special prayers for God’s intervention for an end to the challenge facing the country.
The call is contained in a statement issued by Dr Khalid Aliyu, Secretary-General, JNI, on Thursday in Kaduna.
Abubakar also urged Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia to pray for Nigeria and its leaders on Arafat day.
“If we don’t humble ourselves to the Almighty Allah, an end to these orgy of violence seems not insight.
“I implore us all to dedicate special prayers against all these menace and the hydra-headed calamities of insecurity, poverty, high cost of living and corruption occurring in Nigeria,” he added.
The Sultan also sought for prayers as the 2023 general elections approach.
“Similarly, with 2023 general elections fast approaching, we need to also seek Allah’s apt intervention for stability, security, peace and development of Nigeria.
“As people of faith, we must submit ourselves to Allah, especially that all efforts geared towards restoration of peace and order seems to defy solutions.
“We reiterate the need for fervent prayers for peaceful and smooth political transition, and an end to the varied socio-economic challenges,” he added.
Also, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged Nigerians, in spite of different tongues and belief systems, must unite for the nation to know peace.
The Lagos State Chairman of ADC, Mr George Ashiru, made this call in his 2022 Eid-el-Kabir message to Muslim faithful on Thursday.
According to him, with the current security challenges in the nation, Muslims faithful should consider the 2022 festival as a moment for sober reflection and prayer.
Ashiru said: “We are celebrating our Muslim brothers and sisters as we know and believe that we are one family in this country.
“We believe that even though we may have different tongues and belief systems, we are one people in one common destiny, and therefore, it is very important to celebrate one another.
“Our prayer is that the country will know peace. We should challenge ourselves as faithful to pray that God will step in and remove this insecurity that is mounting upon our nation.”
According to him, ADC fully celebrates and aligns with Muslims not just in the state but across the country.
He urged Nigerians, regardless of religion and belief, to close ranks as a nation and rebuild confidence in themselves.
Ashiru, who decried the attack on Kuje Prison in Abuja and the advance convoy of the President recently, said that all hands must be on deck to defeat the enemies of Nigeria.
“We need to use this opportunity to pray for peace in the country, to pray for calm, prosperity and unity all over the nation.
“It is then, we can achieve the goal which our founding fathers set; a country that is in unity, peace and progress,” he said.
Ashiru said that the ADC commiserated with families of victims of various attacks by terrorists in the nation, praying God to repose the souls of the victims.
The Eid-el-Kabir, a religious festival observed by Muslim faithful across the world, is expected to be celebrated on Saturday or Sunday.
