Eid-el-Kabir: Aregbesola urges Muslims to pray for nation’s leaders, Osun gov poll
Mr Rauf Aregbesola
Osun state governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola
As Muslims in Nigeria celebrates this year’s Eid-el-Kabir, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun on Monday urged Islam faithful to explore the Yuletide to pray for the nation’s leaders, with a view to granting them the wherewithal for the promotion of good governance in the country.
He also emphasised the need for the Muslims to use the Sallah period to offer prayers for the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming September 22 governorship poll in the state.
In a goodwill message signed by Aregbesola’s media adviser, Mr Sola Fasure, which was forwarded to the Nigerian Tribune in Osogbo, the governor said that”you should also pray for the leadership of the nation, asking God to grant them all that they require to work for the progress of the citizenry”.
Describing Islam as a religion that upholds the spirit of love, peace and charity and preach harmonious living relationship with other religious adherents, the governor implored Muslims “to expand the spiritual benefits of Sallah by ensuring and promoting peaceful co-existence with each other and people of other faiths and shun violence and religious conflicts in whatever form they may manifest”.
While appealing to them “to pray for and conduct themselves peacefully before during and after the September 22, governorship election coming up in the state, Aregbesola noted that “it is only Allah who enthrones and anyone who wants to forcefully enthrone himself can only do so in vain”.
The governor posited that “let me congratulate all Muslims on the occasion of this year’s Eid-el- Kabir festival. I want you to use the occasion of the festival to demonstrate that the world is united by our common humanity.
“You have demonstrated that you are patriotic Nigerians with your peaceful conduct, obedience to the laws of the land and invaluable contribution to the development of our country”.
“You should continue to pray fervently for those things that would promote the unity of the country, and pray against things that threaten the existence of Nigeria. With less than three months before the completion of the tenure of our administration, we shall continue to do what we have for nearly eight years been doing to develop the state, turning it around to compete in terms of progress and security among the comity of states in the country”, Aregbesola remarked.