President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Nigerians to use the Eid-el-Kabir celebration as an opportunity to strengthen national unity, tolerance and peaceful coexistence across the country.
The President made the appeal on Wednesday after observing the Eid congregational prayers at Dodan Barracks in Lagos, where he urged citizens to reject ethnic divisions, hatred and violence capable of threatening national stability.
President Tinubu emphasised that the spiritual lessons of Eid-el-Kabir remain deeply rooted in sacrifice, obedience, compassion and total submission to the will of Almighty Allah, as exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim.
The President was joined at the prayer ground by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and other prominent dignitaries.
Speaking after the prayers, Tinubu urged Nigerians to demonstrate love, kindness and generosity towards one another irrespective of ethnic, religious or political differences.
“We thank Almighty Allah for making us witness another year of Eid-el-Kabir. We thank Him for His mercy, and we must learn from this season’s lessons, namely, showing love to one another. No discrimination, no ethnicity, no hatred; we should share love and be generous to one another in a way that reflects the values of our country and humanity,” the President said.
He stressed that Nigeria’s diversity should remain a source of strength rather than division, insisting that the country’s collective aspiration for peace, stability and development must take priority over sectional interests.
President Tinubu further urged Nigerians to remain tolerant and law-abiding while embracing values capable of promoting peaceful coexistence across communities.
“It is essential that we should be very tolerant and obedient to the wishes of Allah and the rule of law, which must guide our society,” he added.
The President also used the occasion to condemn banditry, violence and the taking of innocent lives, insisting that such acts have no justification in any religious teaching.
According to him, the lessons of Eid-el-Kabir place strong emphasis on the sanctity and value of human life.
“Nowhere in the holy teachings does it say you should engage in banditry or take a human life. The sacrifice we speak of, even from the beginning of life, where we take these lessons, teaches us that a child was replaced with an animal. That is the value placed on human life,” Tinubu stated.
He further encouraged Nigerians to use the festive period to support the less privileged and extend compassion to vulnerable members of society.
In his sermon, the Grand Chief Imam of Lagos State, Sheikh Sulaimon Abou-Nolla, called on Muslims to continue promoting unity, sacrifice and generosity in accordance with Islamic teachings.
The cleric also prayed for continued wisdom, strength and good health for President Tinubu while commending the contributions of past Nigerian leaders towards national unity and development.
The Eid-el-Kabir celebration, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, remains one of the most significant religious observances in Islam, celebrated globally to commemorate the faith, obedience and sacrifice demonstrated by Prophet Ibrahim.
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