PRESIDENT Buhari today marked this year’s Eid-el Fitr and end of the Ramadan fast quietly with his family at the State House.
It is the second successive time the president celebrated the festivity without much visitors owing to the coronavirus.
The president was spotted with his wife Aisha Buhari for the first time in months.
President Buhari shared pictures of himself flanked by his wife, children and their spouses on social media.
He also posed with his grandchildren in other photos.
Buhari used his Sallah message to appeal for unity in the wake of calls for disintegration.
“We must resist the temptation to retreat into our communities. I urge our political and religious leaders as well as traditional rulers to encourage our citizens to turn towards one another in love and compassion,” he said.
He also urged all Nigerians to continue to observe all COVID-19 prevention measures and to celebrate responsibly.
“Unity and solidarity among all citizens, Muslims and Christians are imperative especially at a time when our country is faced with multiple challenges which are surmountable only when we come together as one.
“It is important that we remember how we share, through our faiths, common bonds that should serve to unite us and not allow ourselves to succumb to those who seek to divide us, using our two great religions, for their own selfish advantages.
“We should jointly pray against the tragic incidents of kidnapping and banditry and the desperate quest for political power expressed through blackmail against the existence of our country as a united entity.
“We must resist the temptation to retreat into our communities. I urge our political and religious leaders as well as traditional rulers to encourage our citizens to turn towards one another in love and compassion.
“During the holidays and beyond, I urge all Nigerians to continue to observe all COVID-19 prevention measures, and to celebrate responsibly”.
Mrs Buhari returned to Nigeria in late March after six months away. The once vocal woman has been quiet since her return.
In 2019, she accused the president’s nephew late Mamman Daura of hijacking the Presidency, adding that the president’s spokesman Garba Shehu had even issued statements on behalf of the president without his knowledge but based on instructions from Daura.
This year, this president did not issue a congratulatory message when she clocked 50.
The launch of her biography Aisha Buhari: Being Different written by Hajo Sani in April coincided with the time the president was away in London for rest, raising suspicions of a cold war in the president’s house.
