Tinubu Calls for Prayers, Thanksgiving to Mark 71st Birthday

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The President-elect, Bola Tinubu, has directed that special prayers and thanksgiving service be held tomorrow, Wednesday, instead of the yearly birthday colloquium to mark his 71st birthday.

Tinubu, in a statement yesterday by his Media Aide, Tunde Rahman, said the special prayers would be held in Lagos and in other parts of the country.

The president-elect indicated that for the main event in Lagos, special prayers would be offered at the Central Mosque in each of the five divisions in the state including the Central Mosque, Alausa, Ikeja, adding that during the prayer sessions, special prayers would be offered for the peace, unity and progress of Nigeria.

Also to receive prayers among others were President Muhammadu Buhari and the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Vice President-elect Senator Kashim Shettima and Hajia Nana Shettima, Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu, other state governors, as well as members of National and State Houses of Assembly.

According to an announcement by the organisers of the prayer sessions issued by Imam Akeem Kosoko, the session at Alausa Central Mosque would begin at 10am on Wednesday and would include delivery of sermons and reading from the Holy Quran.

Tinubu said this year would be the third in recent times the birthday colloquium would not hold in deference to developments in the country.

In 2020, the 12th edition of the colloquium marking Tinubu 68th birthday was put off to empathise with those who lost their lives or affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, the birthday symposium was also called off by Tinubu right at the venue of the event when news emerged of the terror attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train in which several persons died and many others abducted.