President Muhammadu Buhari will on Tuesday travel to Saudi Arabia for the last time as the president of the country on an official visit and to perform lesser Hajj.
This was made known by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, announced via a statement on Monday.
Shehu said President Buhari would be accompanied by his aides.
The President had on Friday joined other worshippers at the State House, Abuja, to witness the early closure of the daily Qur’anic recitation (Tafsir) in view of the Imam’s impending Umrah trip to Saudi Arabia.
Shehu had said the recitation and commentary of the Qur’an was a daily feature of the month-long Ramadan fasting period in places of Muslim worship and the one of this year had a special meaning for the President.
He made it known that last Friday would be the last time he would be officiating in the Tafsir as President and Commander-in-Chief bearing in mind the May 29 handover date.
Shehu noted that as President Buhari was about to complete the two four-year terms of office in a matter of weeks, the Chief Imam, Sheikh Abdulwahab Sulaiman, turned the event into a valedictory ceremony.
The presidential spokesman said Sheikh Suleiman praised the President for his patience and forbearance and for his work in fighting corruption, terrorism and insurgency as well as the massive infrastructure projects he had put in place.
He said the Chief Imam also lauded President Buhari for setting high standards for probity and accountability and for service to the nation and its people with morality and integrity during his eight years in office, adding that the cleric said the President’s place in history was an assured one.
Shehu said prayers were said for the successful handover to the next administration under Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima.
