Former Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar has congratulated the entire Christian faithful in Nigeria and all Nigerians on the occasion of this year’s Christmas celebration marking the birth of Jesus Christ.
In a press release issued in Abuja by his media office, the Turaki Adamawa says the birth of Christ shows God’s love for mankind as well as rekindles hope that the creator wishes that his people will live a full and happy life on earth and hereafter if they follow the example of Jesus Christ.
Atiku Abubakar states that the season is one of hope reborn just like hope and confidence is born anew in our country Nigeria with the ascension to power of a government that is preaching the gospel of change and renewal and have taken sure-footed steps to show that a new era is here.
The former Vice President says this year’s celebration is significant and special because it was in this year’s national elections that the 16 year old prayer of the Nigerian people of all faiths for a purposeful and more responsive government was answered with a new government and a new political party in power.
The Turaki says the long national prayers and supplication for a good leader was answered with the election of Muhammadu Buhari as President who is well-known as a man of integrity and who abhors corruption.
The APC chieftain encourages all Nigerians to use the period of celebration to show love to one another irrespective of their religious beliefs and to reflect on the love of God which is always so abundant and overflowing.
Acknowledging that the economic situation in the country is not rosy at the moment, the former Vice President enjoins the Christian community and all Nigerians to celebrate with joy as possible, in the understanding that the future of the country would be better.
In the same vein, He urged Muslims to emulate Prophet Muhammad’s shining virtues of compassion, tolerance and commitment to peace.
In a message to Muslims on the occasion of Maulud to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet of Islam, the former Vice President reminds fellow Muslims that the greatest honour they could do to Muhammad is to practise his positive examples.
The former Vice President notes with sadness that the activities of some misguided elements around the world “are inconsistent with the virtues for which Muhammad was famous, such as respect for life, tolerance and avoiding violence against the innocent.”
According to the Turaki Adamawa, “deliberate aggression was never part of the virtues of the Prophet of Islam lived for and, therefore, Muslims have a binding duty to reclaim the good name of Islam by neutralising the pernicious influence of extremists.”
The former Vice President regrets that “the violent interpretation of Islam by a minority of extremists that espouse poisonous ideologies is giving the religion a bad name.”
He says the Maulud celebration should be an occasion for sober reflection and a reminder “of our duty to be good ambassadors of Islam.”
As Muslims observe the occasion, the former Vice President advises them to rededicate ourselves to the noble virtues and exemplary life Prophet Muhammad.
