Eid al-Adha: Nigeria needs prayers, Atiku tells Muslims

Atiku Abubakar, former vice president, has asked Nigerians to seek God’s blessings to elevate the country “to a path of peace, harmony, and prosperity”.

In a statement congratulating Muslims on the Eid-el-Kabir festival, Abubakar said the significance of the celebration is about the “profitability of being patient with God in our affairs as human beings, and most especially, as Muslims”.

He asked the Islamic faithful to take a lesson of forbearance from the “sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim” by being kind and generous to the people around them.

“The scriptures of all prophets of Allah are replete with good examples of how they related with everyone during their lifetimes,” Abubakar said.

“We are also enjoined to follow the footsteps of the prophets, especially Prophet Muhammad, which means that we must live our everyday life as a sacrifice, not just for our families, but the communities where we find ourselves.”

The former vice president further asked Muslims in Nigeria to pray for the country at various Eid prayer grounds, saying, “Nigeria is currently in need of prayers. We must continue to ask God Almighty to show His blessings upon the country and to elevate Nigeria to a path of peace, harmony, and prosperity.”

He also enjoined Muslims not to be extravagant but share the joy of the celebration with the needy.