What Rabiu, Uba Sani, Yari, others said after Umrah with Tinubu

BUA chairperson, Abdulsamad Rabiu, and other members of the delegation accompanying President Bola Tinubu on Umrah to Saudi Arabia have offered special supplications for the nation, focusing on lasting peace, national unity, and the peaceful conduct of the general elections in 2027.

​Mr Rabiu expressed gratitude for the opportunity to join Tinubu in the Holy Land, and emphasised the spiritual significance of the visit at a critical juncture in the nation’s political calendar.

“Alhamdulillah, it’s very significant, and we are blessed and honoured, you know, to accompany His Excellency, Mr President, you know, to the Holy Land, and we are here to, in this sacred, you know, in this sacred place, to pray for Nigeria, to pray for peace, long, long-lasting peace for the country, for unity in Nigeria, and as we know, we are preparing for the elections, which will happen soon.

“So again, we have prayed and will continue to pray for you know free, fair, and successful you know elections in the country. And we pray that Allah accepts all our prayers, you know, and worship here, and we hope and pray that peace and unity will prevail in our country”, Mr Rabiu stated.

​Also speaking, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State stated that the visit provided an opportunity to pray over insecurity in Kaduna and other states.

​”The number one priority for us is to pray for our country, pray for our states, and pray for our people. Of course, we have some challenges, as you are aware, which we believe require prayers.

​”On the issue of insecurity in our country, particularly in some states, governors are trying, and security agencies are trying. Even our citizens are making concerted efforts to address these challenges.

​”However, some of us firmly believe that we must pray to Almighty Allah to intervene. Most of these issues persist not necessarily due to a lack of effort by security agencies, governors, or the President.

​”There are individuals within society who need to work more closely with the relevant security agencies to tackle these problems.

“We must pray for Almighty Allah to touch their hearts and change their ways, because reports from security agencies indicate that there is connivance—not necessarily from politicians, but even among ordinary members of the public who fail to give the necessary cooperation.

​”We must pray for everyone to embrace patriotism and be our brothers’ keepers. That is the only way we can effectively overcome these challenges.

​”So, while we believe deeply in prayer, we also recognise the need to do our part. As leaders, we took an oath to protect the lives and properties of our citizens.

“At the same time, we must continually seek Almighty Allah’s guidance and ease to help us protect our people, our states, and our nation”, Governor Sani stated.

Also, Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, said the most important thing about the trip is the return of peace and tranquillity to Nigeria.

“We pray that Almighty Allah shall give us lasting peace and tranquillity in Nigeria. As we are with nothing coming closer to the election, we pray that everything will go well, and God will give us a better future, so that everyone in Nigeria will enjoy it.

“We believe there is nothing better than peace. We believe there is nothing better than unity of our own country, and therefore we should do everything possible that will ensure a peaceful election, Inshallah, Mr Zulum said.

A media aide to the president, Tunde Rahman, stated that regular spiritual rejuvenation has always been a core facet of MrTinubu’s life and leadership ethos,

Mr Rahman noted that President Tinubu has consistently made seeking divine intervention a steadfast annual devotion for years.

Mr ​Rahman recalled that since he began working closely with the Nigerian leader nearly a decade ago, Mr Tinubu has never missed dedicating time each year to seek the face of God, while using such solemn platforms to intercede on behalf of Nigeria and its citizens.

“Mr President has always been somebody who believes in regular spiritual rejuvenation. It has always been part of his life. I recall over the years, from about 2016, that I joined him. There’s never been a year that we didn’t come to seek the face of our Almighty Allah.

“He is a regular part of his life, and on occasions like that, he has always used the opportunity to pray for himself, to pray for the country, and I think this is a very critical moment where we need a lot of prayers”, Mr Rahman stated.

Former Zamfara State Governor and Director General of the APC presidential campaign council, Abdul’aziz Yari, described Mr Tinubu’s leadership as one grounded in prayer, reliance on God, and commitment to public service

Mr Yari highlighted the spiritual and moral posture of the leadership, noting that the nation’s helmsman prioritises the collective welfare of Nigerians through continuous prayer.

“That is what makes a leader because when you ask him, he first pray for the country, pray for every Nigerian being the leader, and also he said this election is election of God has selected the person will be a leader, only him that can put a leader otherwise. So in total, he depended on Almighty Allah to do it for him, as he did it for him in 2023.

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“By God’s grace, we should welcome and work. That’s all the procedure we have been under: the protocol to campaign, to talk to people, to convince them, to show them what we have done, what we achieved, and by God’s grace, people will be convinced to elect us”, Mr Yari stated.

The president’s spiritual exercise in Saudi Arabia follows a flurry of high-level political and international engagements by the Nigerian leader.

Before the spiritual journey, President Tinubu had returned from a month-long foreign trip to Europe.

Upon his return to domestic engagements, the President officially flagged off the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign in Kaduna State, where thousands of party chieftains, governors, and supporters rallied behind his re-election bid ahead of the upcoming general elections.

During the Kaduna rally, Mr Tinubu renewed his pledge to consolidate economic recovery, tackle poverty, and deepen infrastructure development across the country.

​Shortly after launching the nationwide campaign in Kaduna, President Tinubu departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday afternoon for Saudi Arabia.

According to the Presidency, the visit was strictly a personal spiritual journey aimed at performing Umrah and seeking divine guidance, unity, and sustained peace and progress for the nation.