An Islamic cleric, Prof. Luqman Zakariyah, on Friday prayed for President Bola Tinubu’s good health and a successful tenure during the mass wedding of 10 children of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, held at the National Mosque, Abuja.
Zakariyah, who officiated the wedding fatiha of five daughters and five sons of Matawalle, described the President as “a father of all” and asked God to grant him long life and prosperity.
“We pray to Almighty Allah to give our President, who represents all, the father of all the brides and grooms, good health. We also ask Allah to grant our President long life, prosperity and success during his presidency. We pray that his tenure will bring hope to the hopeless,” the cleric said.
President Tinubu, who stood in for the Matawalle family, formally received the brides — Maryam, Safiyya, Farida, Nana Firdausi and Aisha — and the grooms — Ibrahim, Abdul Jalal, Surajo, Bello and Fahad — into his family.
The wedding ceremony was attended by the President of São Tomé and Príncipe, Carlos Manuel Vila Nova, alongside governors, members of the National Assembly, members of the Federal Executive Council, service chiefs, diplomats, traditional rulers, religious leaders and other dignitaries.
Zakariyah also prayed for the newly married couples, as well as their parents and grandparents, asking Allah to bless their marriages.
Matawalle, a former governor of Zamfara State, hosted the ceremony, which drew prominent figures from across the country.
Details of the event were contained in a State House press release issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
