‘Your prayers vital to my successes,’ Obasanjo tells Muslim Ummah
President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday said the steadfast prayers of Muslim Ummah were a major force behind his successes in office.
Receiving a delegation of Owu Muslim community who payed him Sallah homage at his Abeokuta residence, Obasanjo thanked them for their prayers.
He said the prayers contributed significantly to peace and stability in the country.
The president noted that were it not for the prayers of the faithful, things would have gone bad for him and the country.
Dressed in traditional Muslim attire with the turban, alongside Gov. Gbenga Daniel of Ogun, Obasanjo said he hoped to be back among his kinsmen in the next five months, after handing over power to a successor.
He said he would remain grateful to the Muslims, and would continue to show his care and love for them.
While expressing his appreciation to Daniel for his unflinching support for Muslims, the President described him as ``a man of his words''.
He observed that Daniel had performed creditably as governor, and assured the group that the governor would fulfil every promise he made to them.
Obasanjo urged the gathering which had the ANPP candidate, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun in attendance, not to hesitate to vote for Daniel for the second term.
Daniel described the President as a capable father who had brought immense prosperity to the country, Ogun State and the Owu people.
He commended the virtues of the Owu people,whom he described as peace loving.
The acting Chief Imam of Owu Kingdom, Alhaji
Suleiman Kehinde, also extolled the virtues of Obasanjo.
He said Obasanjo would be remembered for accommodating all religious groups and for working tirelessly for the unity and prosperity of the nation.
Kehinde assured him of their continued support, ``especially in having a soft landing for him after leaving office''.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) later, Amosun urged all politicians in the state to eschew violence.
He said it was important to use a period like the Eid-El-Kabir celebration to reflect on the teachings of the Holy Q'uran, so that the faithful could preach peace and harmony and practise same.
The Secretary to Ogun State Government, Chief Sarafadeen Ishola, said the festival called for celebration, and should be used to correct the mistakes of the past.
In his sermon while leading the congregational prayer at the Totoro Eid prayer ground, Abeokuta, the Chief Imam of Egba-Land, Alhaji Liadi Orunshola, urged the Muslim Ummah to do good while on earth.
He stressed that it was important for all to live a fulfilled life in service of God and humanity.