Vice Presiden Kashim Shettima on Sunday paid glowing tribute to the late Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, mother of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing her as a selfless leader whose influence transcended her family and continues to shape Nigeria through the values she instilled in her son.

Speaking at the Annual Grand Prayer Session held in her honour at the National Mosque, Abuja, Shettima, who represented President Tinubu, said the late Iyaloja-General of Nigeria exemplified quiet but impactful leadership, measured not by public acclaim but by the lives she transformed and the institutions she strengthened.

Alhaja Mogaji died on June 15, 2013, at the age of 96.

The Vice President said the revered matriarch completed her life’s mission and left behind a legacy that would continue to inspire generations.

Drawing a parallel between mother and son, Shettima said President Tinubu’s commitment to public service and democratic ideals was rooted in the principles imparted by his late mother.

“It should surprise no one, then, that the son she raised carries the same fire into the highest office in our land,” he said.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu learned at her side that public life is a trust and that leadership is owed first to the ordinary and the unheard.

“The instinct to fight for democracy when it was dangerous to do so, the willingness to stand for the common good when comfort counselled silence, and the conviction that the citizen deserves a government that works for them were first kindled in a home where service was the daily example. A mother shaped a leader, and through that leader her values now serve the whole of Nigeria.”

Shettima described the late market leader as one of the rare Nigerians who understood that commerce was fundamentally a service to humanity and that markets were spaces where human dignity and livelihoods converged.

According to him, Alhaja Mogaji devoted much of her life to advancing the welfare of traders, particularly market women, organising them into a formidable force and ensuring that their voices were heard.

“She turned scattered effort into collective strength and taught a generation of market women that their work mattered, that their voices carried weight and that their toil deserved respect,” he said.

The Vice President added that she earned widespread affection because “she served before she sought to be served,” feeding the hungry, mediating conflicts and standing firmly with the vulnerable against exploitation.

He offered prayers for the repose of her soul, asking Allah to forgive her shortcomings, grant her eternal rest in Paradise and comfort President Tinubu and the entire family.

Shettima also expressed optimism that Nigeria would overcome its current security and economic challenges through prayers, national unity and the collective commitment of its citizens.

He assured Nigerians that President Tinubu remained steadfast in implementing reforms aimed at improving security, stimulating economic growth and enhancing the welfare of the people.

Earlier, the convener of the prayer session and Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs and Other Matters, Alhaji Ibrahim Kabir Masari, described Alhaja Mogaji as a woman whose life was defined by service and compassion.

Masari disclosed that more than 250 hand-pump boreholes had been constructed across nine northern states in her memory, providing clean water to thousands of residents.

He also announced plans to establish the Abibatu Mogaji Islamic Centre in Abuja to promote Islamic scholarship, leadership development, science and technology education, as well as the construction of a modern Juma’at Mosque with residential quarters for the Imam and support staff in Rigasa, Kaduna State, in her honour.

Prominent Islamic scholars from across the country offered special prayers for the repose of her soul and for peace, security, unity and economic prosperity in Nigeria.

Among dignitaries at the event were the governors of Borno, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum; Yobe, Mai Mala Buni; and Jigawa, Umar Namadi; former governors Usman Sa’idu Nasamu Dakingari and Tanko Al-Makura; the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, represented by Yahaya Abubakar; Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children, Dr. Mohammed Sani Idris, alongside senior government officials, traditional rulers and religious leaders.