Current challenges: First Lady Tinubu, Ribadu to lead national prayers

First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, have been slated to chair a national prayer session by both the Christian and Muslim faithful, respectively, in the country at a yet-to-be-fixed date.

The Director General of the National Prayer Forum, Chief Segun Balogun Afolorunikan, who stated this at a press briefing in Abuja Friday, said “at the end of the prayer session, all the challenges confronting the country in the political, socioeconomic space and security, would be tamed by the wisdom God will give the leaders and followers to confront the common enemy.”

The group stated that Nigeria would be ushered into the year 2025 in a clean slate and the nation would move forward.

According to the Director General of the National Prayer Forum, “Muslims will converge at the National Mosque in Abuja for seven days for the prayers.”

He said that 313 people would recite the Qur’an for seven days, adding that “at the end of the spiritual exercise, the Holy Qur’an would be recited 2,191 for national stability.”

He also stated that, “On Friday, the final day, salat of prophet (SAW) 10000 will be recited by each making a total of 3,310,000 in all,” adding that “some special category of Ulamas will equally be engaged in reciting special names of Allah during the period.”

Afolorunikan also said, “The Christians will converge at the National Ecumenical Centre for one week with prayer warriors drawn from different denominations praying fire on the nation’s enemies with other engagements.

“Preparatory to that, we have reached out to all the stakeholders. We have met with the leadership of the National Mosque, President of CAN. We have also written to the Sultan of Sokoto, the chairman of National Mosque, Etsu Nupe, as well as different clergymen.

“We expect the governors who are directly faced with the challenges of their respective populations to be in attendance. We have also written to the 36 governors for this purpose.”

According to the Forum, “The present national challenges have exacerbated the living condition of Nigerians of all strata, emphasising the need for unity of purpose and calling out for help from the only One (God) who can help the nation out of the present quagmire. Only the Almighty God can do this. We must never undermine the place of the spiritual in our lives.

“The already tough situation faced by everyone which has been occasioned by kidnapping, terrorism, hunger has been exacerbated by the incisive increase of petroleum price.

“Transportation has hiked, impacting on food evacuation from farm to the market and to the kitchen. All these have manifested with varying degrees of pain in every home. We cannot afford to pretend any longer. The time for national prayers has become imperative.

It added that, “The time to ask for God’s soothing of our situation is now. This is the time to plead the heavens as a Nigerian and collectively as a people for God’s kindness of empathy and wisdom for our leaders, as the intervention we need to give all Nigerians living a life worthy to be called a Nigerian.”

Blueprint gathered that the National Prayer Team (NPT) is a registered group under the name, Concerned Religious Prayer Forum, with registration no. 7292147 and consists of many patriotic and dedicated Nigerians across the country.