Hardship: Remi Tinubu, Ribadu to lead national prayers for divine intervention

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu are set to lead a national prayer session aimed at seeking divine intervention for the country’s healing and stability.

The announcement was made during a press briefing in Abuja by Chief Segun Balogun Afolorunikan, Director General of the National Prayer Forum.

The event, which brings together Christian and Muslim leaders, is organised in partnership with religious communities to promote unity and faith in addressing the nation’s challenges.

The prayer sessions themed “Seeking the Intervention of God in Nigeria’s Affairs” will take place at the National Mosque and the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja.

“By the end of this prayer session, we believe that with God’s wisdom, our leaders and citizens will find the strength to confront our common enemies,” Afolorunikan stated.

According to Afolorunikan, the Muslim prayer session will last for seven days at the National Mosque, with 313 individuals reciting the Qur’an.

The recitations are expected to total 2,191 by the end of the week, symbolising the collective effort to pray for national stability.

At the same time, Christians from various denominations will gather at the National Ecumenical Centre for a week of intense prayer, where “prayer warriors” will focus on the country’s adversities, Afolorunikan disclosed.

He noted that extensive outreach had been conducted, including meetings with leaders from the National Mosque, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, and traditional leaders such as the Sultan of Sokoto.

This development comes days after Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, said the conversion of church vigils to night shifts to increase productivity.

Obi, during his appearance on the Honest Bunch podcast , argued that excessive indulgence in religious activities and politics has waned the productivity of Nigerians, worsening the poverty situation.

“I’m not happy in Nigeria; we can’t continue to breed poverty; that’s not leadership. We live in a largely unproductive society, which is why the only things that seem attractive here are politics and religion,” Obi said on Saturday.