Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and the incoming President Bola Tinubu on Friday exchanged Eid greetings in a phone call to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s spokesman confirmed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
According to the presidential aide, both leaders thanked God for seeing the day and prayed for the stability and well-being of the nation.
Buhari expressed his readiness to welcome Tinubu to the State House as President on May 29.
Earlier in his Sallah message to Nigerians, President Buhari had said the outcome of the 2023 elections was in line with his pledge to leave a legacy of free and fair elections in the country.
The president stated this in his goodwill Sallah Message to Muslims on the occasion of the Eid-el-fitr celebration to mark the end of the 30-day Ramadan fasting season.
According to the president, the peaceful outcome of the 2023 general elections will go down on record as one of the biggest achievements of his administration “in addition to our neutrality in the conduct of the elections.”
Buhari explained that “the outcome of the elections was in line with my pledge to leave a legacy of free and fair elections.
“I’m proud that I have created a level playing field for all contestants regardless of party affiliation in order to produce a fair outcome for all.”
“Free and fair elections are the only principles that give credibility to our democracy, because the subversion of the will of the people undermines democracy itself.”
The president believed that the elections were so transparent that even members of his own party were routed and unseated.
“At no point did I interfere with the process in order to give unfair advantage to anyone,” he added.
On the Ramadan fast, Buhari congratulated Muslims on successfully completing the demanding spiritual obligation.
While praying to Allah to reward the Muslims for their sacrifices during the fasting season, President Buhari advised that: “We shouldn’t forget the important lessons of the Ramadan, which includes improving our bond with the underprivileged and poor members of society.
“Abstention from food and drinks during the fasting period had made it possible for us to appreciate the situation of those who go without eating every day.”
Similarly, Tinubu in an earlier Sallah message had tasked Nigerians to love one another and rededicate themselves to making the country great.
Tinubu said this in his Eid-el-Fitr message, marking the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan on Thursday in Abuja.
“We thank Almighty Allah for the grace to witness this year’s eid-el-fitri celebration after the Holy Month of Ramadan.
“For Muslims in our country and all over the world, Ramadan is a sacred spiritual obligation as one of the five pillars of Islam.
“With the help of Almighty Allah, we have gone through a period of abstinence, self-discipline, self-reflection, self-purification in gratitude and total submission to the will of Allah.
“We have engaged in fervent prayers and supplications to Allah,” he said.
Tinubu added: ”Beyond the self-abnegation and pious living that the fasting imposed on Muslims, the just concluded spiritual exercise have helped to improve our moral character.
“The period have also helped to refine our minds in pursuit of higher ideals for which there should be no turning back.
“At the heart of our faith and a major demand on all faithful, is the requirement to commit ourselves to wholesome living.
“This entails love for one another, love for fellow humans regardless of creed, region and ethnicity, love for our communities and love for country.”
“To love one another, have compassion, empathy and love our beloved country meant we must become better citizens in line with the teachings of Prophet Muhammed.
“We must constantly seek to become a better version of ourselves in patriotism, dedication to duty and honesty. We must also never be weary of doing what is right, fair and just to all.
“We are at the dawn of a Renewed Hope for a better, greater and a more prosperous Nigeria.
“And I stand ready to walk with all Nigerians, young and old, male and female with this opportunity to serve you in honour and dignity.
“This is a commitment that I have made and one in which we cannot afford to fail”.
