President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria after completing a week-long Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage, in the holy city of Makkah. His aircraft departed King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on Wednesday, bound for Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the presidential plane took off from the Royal Terminal of the airport at exactly 5:13 pm Saudi time.
The President was accompanied to the airport by the Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region, Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Yakubu Gambo, and the Consul-General, Ambassador Muazam Ibrahim Nayaya. Before his departure, Tinubu held a brief meeting with the Deputy Governor at the Royal Guest Palace located within the airport complex.
A Week of Spiritual Engagements
The visit, which began the previous Thursday, featured a series of spiritual activities that drew considerable public attention back home. The President led his delegation in performing the Umrah rites, including the circumambulation of the Holy Ka’abah at Masjid al-Haram.
The high point of the trip came on Sunday when King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud granted Tinubu the rare privilege of entering the interior of the Holy Ka’abah, the sacred cubic structure at the centre of Islam’s holiest mosque. There, the President and members of his delegation performed the two raka’at prayers.
Inside the Ka’abah, Tinubu offered supplications for lasting peace, security, unity and prosperity in Nigeria, and sought divine guidance, wisdom and strength to continue serving the Nigerian people.
Prayers for Nigeria’s Diversity and Prosperity
On Sunday, the President hosted members of his delegation to dinner, where he prayed for Nigeria’s diversity to be converted into prosperity. The following day, after entering the Ka’abah, he reaffirmed what he described as his commitment to “Project Nigeria.”
“My commitment to Project Nigeria is higher. I am determined to usher in prosperity and fully develop the country, consistent with the wish of Allah and the support of the people,” the President said.
Tinubu also expressed gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the hospitality and special courtesies extended to his delegation, particularly the access granted to the Ka’abah.
Timing Draws Political Commentary
The visit attracted political commentary given its timing. Tinubu travelled to Makkah days after officially flagging off his re-election campaign in Kaduna on October 24, with the January 16, 2027 general elections then less than 75 days away.
Speaking to journalists after completing his Umrah rites on Friday, the President declared that only God could determine who would lead Nigeria. “Allah is the only one who can define a human being, what he will be, and what he will become,” he said.
His entourage on the return flight included the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the governors of Sokoto, Jigawa, Kaduna, Borno and Yobe States, among others.
