No fewer than 25 Muslim and Christian religious organisations have arranged a national inter-faith prayer session to solicit divine favour for a successful transition on May 29.
The present administration headed by President Muhammadu Buhari which came into effect on May 29, 2015, would terminate same date while a new four-year period for the second tenure is expected to take off.
The prayer session, which will be attended by prominent clerics from both Christian and Muslim faiths, will be held on May 2 in Abuja specifically to pray for a peaceful transition as well as the progress of the President Buhari’s next administration.
The organisers of the event said Wednesday that the multi-religious prayer session was necessary to heal the wounds politicians inflicted on the nation and individuals during their electioneering campaigns.
Leading member of the organisers of the inter-faith prayer session, and the Justice and Freedom Party FCT senatorial candidate, Prof Leonard Bature Kawas, said the unity and peace of Nigeria cannot be traded for anything including any individual or group political aspiration.
“We have strong passion to help President Muhammadu Buhari because he means well for Nigeria. In fact, after the electioneering campaigns, which politicians usually use to attack each other, we think it is high time we healed the wounds.
“It is time we stopped treating each other on the basis of religion, we must stop discrimination on the basis of religion or political affiliations and see ourselves first as Nigerians.
“Besides, election is over and we have an elected president, we must support him because we can only have one president at a time. We want to lift the president and his vice into the hands of God and support their eforts to transform Nigeria.
“It is, therefore, incumbent on all to back the winner. And we are proud to back our leader, President Buhari by praying for him and his administration for God to guide and bless him and the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.”
Speaking at a formal inauguration of the National Inter-Faith Prayer Session committee, which membership cuts across faiths including representatives of JIBWIS, churches, the organisers said prominent religious leaders across faiths would seek God’s blessings for politicians to conduct themselves in manner that would promote oneness of the nation.
The event was attended by Sheikh Muhammed Nafiz, Hashim Samaru Zaria, Sheikh Surajo Suleiman Bomo, Sheikh Kabiru Gombe, many church leaders and officials of AMAC, Kuje and Gwagwalada area councils, and officials of various political parties.
