President‑elect Bola Tinubu has ordered that special prayers and a thanksgiving service be held on Wednesday to mark his 71st birthday, replacing the usual birthday colloquium. A statement from his office, issued on Monday by media officer Tunde Rahman, said the prayers will take place at the Central Mosque in each of Lagos State’s five divisions, including the Central Mosque in the Alausa area of Ikeja. During the sessions, prayers will be offered for Nigeria’s peace, unity and progress, as well as for President (ret.) Major General Muhammadu Buhari and First Lady Aisha Buhari; Tinubu’s wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Vice President‑elect Senator Kashim Shettima and his spouse, Hajia Nana Shettima; Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo‑Olu; their counterparts in other states; and members of the National and State Houses of Assembly. The Alausa Central Mosque service will begin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and will include sermons and readings from the Holy Qur’an.
This will be the third recent year that the birthday colloquium is cancelled in deference to national events. In 2020, the 12th edition of the colloquium marking Tinubu’s 68th birthday was called off to honor those who had died or been affected by the COVID‑19 pandemic. Last year, the event was halted at the venue when news broke of the Abuja‑Kaduna train terror attack, which resulted in several deaths and many abductions. The Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos was filled to capacity with dignitaries when Tinubu took the podium to announce the cancellation, stating that it would be improper for a statesman to celebrate while the nation mourned. He said, “For me to be here celebrating, dancing and enjoying myself does not speak of me as a senior citizen of this country. I asked that the cleric should rather engage in prayers. This event should not be holding.”
In 2023, the president‑elect urged his supporters not to plan any surprise birthday package, noting that his birthday falls during the holy month of Ramadan. He pleaded that the day be dedicated to prayers, seeking God’s guidance for him and the country as he prepares to assume leadership.
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