Tinubu hails Ramadan, Lent same-day start as call for Nigerian unity

Abdullateef Fowewe

President Bola Tinubu has urged Christians and Muslims to embrace the uncommon coincidence of Lent and Ramadan starting on the same day as a reminder of their shared faith and oneness as Nigerians.

In a State House press statement released today, Tinubu greeted the faithful “with profound reverence to God Almighty,” highlighting the spiritual significance of the overlap.

“This year, Lent and Ramadan begin on the same day. This is not a common occurrence, and it reminds us that as a people of faith, we share a lot in common and are one people under God,” he stated.

The President outlined the core tenets of each observance, noting for Christians, “the Lenten season is a time for fasting, abstinence, and penitence, following Jesus Christ’s example in the wilderness before His crucifixion, which brought salvation to mankind.”

For Muslims, he described Ramadan as “a hallowed season that reflects total submission to God Almighty and His command of sacrifice, devotion, service, and communal love and giving,” adding that it “marks one of the five pillars of Islam” and calls for “deep spiritual reflection in obedience to Islam’s injunctions.”

Tinubu called on Nigerians to use the period for “good neighbourliness, promote peace, unity, and stability, and pray for the progress and security of our nation.”

He emphasised, “Let us live by the good precepts of our faiths and be honourable in our duty to God and fellow humans.”

The message concluded with a prayer, “I pray that the lessons, blessings, and joys of these sacred seasons abide with us always.”