As Muslim faithful worldwide mark the end of Ramadan, President Bola Tinubu has called on all Nigerians to carry forward the values of kindness, charity, and selflessness embraced during the 29 days of fasting.

President Tinubu spoke in an interview with newsmen after the Eid-el-Fitr prayers at the Abuja National Eid Prayer Ground yesterday.

He urged Nigerians not to return to the old and unacceptable paths but to remain steadfast in practising the righteous virtues they had learned during Ramadan.

“We should continue the good deeds as taught during the Holy month of Ramadan: care for the vulnerable, the orphans and the less privileged. Everything that we have observed, we should not revert to the path that is not acceptable to the teachings of this month,” the President said.

In his sermon, the Chief Imam of National Mosque, Abuja, Dr Abdulkadir Salman Sholagberu, who led the prayers, reiterated the need for Muslims to continue in the spirit of Ramadan, which included exhibiting a life of love, cooperation in righteousness, and care for the poor and the vulnerable.

He stressed that it was imperative to continue in the life of worship, holiness, and obedience to Allah even after Ramadan.

The Eid-el-Fitr celebration in Abuja was Tinubu’s first since he became President in 2023. He was joined by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; members of the Federal Executive Council, and other senior government officials.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, said Nigerians would not regret giving President Tinubu their mandate to govern the country. However, he called on the people to renew their faith in the administration and continue supporting the APC-led government.

In a statement signed in Abuja by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, the APC National Chairman rejoiced with all Muslims for the spiritual renewal and discipline attained during the sacred month of fasting, prayer, and devotion to Almighty Allah.

The Sultan of Sokoto and leader of the Muslim community in the country, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, asked Nigerians to continue to pray and support leaders at all levels of government to be able to bring about the needed growth and development of the country.

Speaking in his Sallah message shortly after the prayers to mark this year’s Eid-el-Fitr celebration, the Sultan urged Nigerians to pray for peace and against the rising insecurity in the country. He expressed concern over the security challenges in parts of the country while commending the security forces for their efforts.

He urged citizens to engage in constructive criticism rather than frivolous attacks on leaders working towards finding solutions to the country’s challenges.

Abubakar said the contract between citizens and leaders is continuous and urged the government to continue the good work they have started to take the state to a greater height. He was particularly grateful to the state’s government and other wealthy individuals who supported residents in observing the Ramadan fast with ease through support of all kinds.

However, the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has admonished leaders at all levels to prioritise the well-being of Nigerians.

Abubakar made the plea in a statement by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, on Sunday in Abuja. He also urged leaders to lead with the fear of God.

“While the Ramadan season encouraged charity to the less privileged, it becomes imperative for leaders to make sure that after Ramadan, governments initiate interventions that will ensure that the well-being and welfare of the people are sustained. It is important to call the attention of those in positions of authority to the practices of the noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that teach about leadership obligations to the people.

“It is not enough that the government will ask the people to brace themselves for harsh economic conditions. It is more sufficient for the leadership to show compassion on the masses and act with fear of God,” Abubakar said.

Also, a chieftain of the Lagos chapter of the APC, Fouad Oki, yesterday, urged President Tinubu to be conscious of the fact that Nigeria is in serious distress as the citizens are suffering untold economic and social hardships. Oki in his over 5,500-word letter, which he titled, ‘Who Will Tell the President?’ said the truths contained in the letter are what many would rather avoid “but as your brother, your loyalist, and your confidant, I cannot stay silent.”

The letter reads: “I write to you today not merely as a loyal servant of our great nation, but as a concerned citizen, a comrade who has stood by the ideals of democracy, freedom, and justice from our struggle.

“This is not just a letter but a heartfelt call to action. As someone who has walked with you through the struggles for democracy, endured the challenges of political opposition and shared in the vision of a better Nigeria, I write to you with the utmost sense of duty, respect, and sincerity.

“Mr President, Nigeria is in distress. The people are suffering untold hardship. The streets murmur, the markets groan, and the cries of the masses grow louder by the day. I do not write to flatter you, but Nigeria today is critical in its political and socio-economic journey. With the 2027 electoral process already casting its long shadow over our collective consciousness, we must pause to assess our current trajectory and the challenges that beset us.”

Urging President Tinubu to lead courageously and institute bold steps, Oki said, “This essay, which I humbly present to you, is an earnest appeal, a call to action for you, the President, to lead courageously and institute bold, pro-poor policies that will fundamentally transform the lives of Nigerians.”

The former gubernatorial campaign director general to Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode in Lagos, impress on Mr President the dire need to reform Nigeria’s reward system within our party, the importance of instituting policies that prioritise the welfare of most vulnerable citizens, the urgency to overhaul critical sectors such as transportation and health care, and the necessity to reflect upon and learn from our political history.

Oki noted that everyday Nigerians are increasingly disillusioned by the persistent hardships that characterised our economic landscape. “Inflation, unemployment, and the soaring cost of living have rendered the dream of a prosperous future a distant reality for many. The burden of rising prices, particularly in urban centres such as Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Plateau State, has placed undue strain on household budgets. It is against this backdrop of widespread economic distress that I urge you to initiate policies that directly address these issues,” he said.

MEANWHILE, in an unusual turn of events, Muslim leaders in Egbaland, Ogun State, yesterday didn’t mark Eid-el-Fitr contrary to the directive of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, who declared Sunday as the first of Shawwal and Eid day, commemorating the completion of the 2025 Ramadan fast.

Sultan’s directive was preceded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s announcement of the sighting of the moon’s crescent, marking the beginning of Shawwal and the end of Ramadan.

But in Ogun State, Papa-Lantoro Eid praying ground in Abeokuta, on Sunday, failed to conduct prayer, leaving some Muslim faithful stranded. Government officials usually pray at Lantoro, the state’s central praying ground, where prayer is led by the Chief Imam of Egbaland, Sa’ad Bamgbola.

As early as 8.00 a.m., Muslims thronged various praying grounds in Abeokuta and other parts of Ogun to perform the two–rakat prayer to thank Allah for the successful completion of this year’s Ramadan fast.

However, the Lantoro praying ground was deserted. One of the Egba Muslim leaders who craved anonymity told newsmen that sallah prayer would hold on Monday at Lantoro Eid praying ground.
“We’re conducting Eid prayer tomorrow. Nothing is happening. Our leader said the sallah prayer should hold tomorrow. So, we don’t have choice,” the religious leader said.

When asked if the act isn’t a disobedience to the Sultan’s directive, he responded “We’ll see tomorrow.”

In Ota, the Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, joined Muslims to pray at Ota Community Eid praying ground. She charged Muslim faithful in the state and country at large to remember the profound lessons of the Holy month of Ramadan as it comes to an end.

The deputy governor noted that the Holy Month had taught self-discipline, patience, charity and faith in Allah, stressing that the good deeds embraced during the period, including prayer, fasting, kindness and generosity, should not end with the month but rather become part of their daily lives.

In the same vein, the Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta, Khamis Olatunde-Badmus, on Sunday, implored political officeholders in Nigeria to stop promoting tension in the country through their conduct, speeches and politics.

Olatunde-Badmus, who is also an industrialist, emphasised that “in the spirit of the Ramadan fast, which preaches peace, perseverance, good conduct, generosity, decorum and fairness, the Nigerian political class should avoid playing bitter politics above the national interest and welfare of those who elected them.”

According to him, since the advent of the Fourth Republic, political sentiments, bitterness, and negative perceptions by many politicians have threatened the peace and tranquillity of the country. He said: “If someone has been elected effectively into office, those politicians who were not elected should not form the habit of destroying those elected at all cost.”