President Bola Tinubu has expressed fulfilment after completing the lesser Hajj, known as Umrah, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, saying the spiritual exercise provided an opportunity to seek Allah’s guidance and pray for Nigeria.

The President made this known shortly after performing the religious rites, describing the pilgrimage as deeply significant to him and the country.

“It’s a spiritual thing for me and the country, Nigeria. I’m grateful to Allah for this opportunity,” Tinubu said.

Speaking on the significance of returning to the holy land after undertaking Umrah ahead of the 2026 presidential election, the President described the latest visit as “very, very significant”.

He attributed his decision to undertake the pilgrimage to the love of the people and his commitment to national service, while acknowledging the supremacy of Allah’s will.

“I believe the love of the people, the commitment to the job, and the physical commitment to it. I believe that Allah’s wish in His court must prevail,” he said.

Tinubu further disclosed that he prayed for peace, harmony and happiness in Nigeria, expressing hope that Nigerians would continue to live together in unity and faith.

“We just pray for our nation. We pray for everyone to live in harmony, happiness, and faith in God Almighty,” he added.

Other members of the presidential delegation also offered prayers for national unity, lasting peace and a successful electoral process.

Businessman Abdul Samad Rabiu, who accompanied the President, described the pilgrimage as an important opportunity to seek divine intervention for Nigeria.

“We are here in this sacred place to pray for Nigeria, to pray for peace, long-lasting peace for the country, for unity in Nigeria,” Rabiu said.

He noted that the delegation had prayed and would continue to pray for peaceful, free, fair and successful elections.

“We hope and pray that peace and unity will prevail in our country,” he added.

Tinubu’s media aide, Tunde Rahman, said the President had sustained a tradition of visiting the holy land to seek Allah’s guidance and blessings for himself and Nigeria.

Rahman, who disclosed that he had accompanied Tinubu on the spiritual journeys since 2016, said the President had consistently maintained the practice over the years.

“There’s never been a year that we didn’t come to seek the face of our Almighty Allah,” he said.

He described this year's visit as particularly significant in view of the country's electoral preparations, noting that the delegation had prayed for a peaceful, free, fair and credible electoral process.

Also speaking, Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, called for divine intervention to restore lasting peace and stability across Nigeria.

“The most important thing is for the return of peace and tranquillity to Nigeria. We pray that Almighty Allah shall give us lasting peace and tranquillity in Nigeria,” Zulum said.

The governor also emphasised the importance of peaceful elections, maintaining that national unity and stability were critical to Nigeria’s future.

“We believe there is nothing better than peace. We believe there is nothing better than unity of our own country,” he added.