By Our Reporter
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday departed Abuja for Makkah, Saudi Arabia, to perform Umrah, the lesser Hajj, and pray for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability and continued progress.
The President departed the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at about 2:20 pm, accompanied by the presence of several governors and senior government officials who came to see him off.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had announced the trip in a statement on Wednesday, disclosing that the President was expected to return to Nigeria next week after completing the religious exercise.
Before his departure, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Nigeria, Yousef Bin Mohammed Al-Balawi, presented Tinubu with a *bisht*, a traditional Arabian overcoat, on behalf of the Saudi Crown Prince.
According to the Presidency, the visit will provide the President with an opportunity for spiritual reflection and devotion as he performs the rites associated with Umrah and seeks divine guidance and blessings for Nigeria and its citizens.
The Presidency had also announced that Tinubu was scheduled to commission equipment acquired by the Nigerian Air Force for its operations at the airport before departing the country.
Among the dignitaries who attended the departure ceremony were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq; Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni; and Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum.
Others included Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi; and Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi; Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate; and member representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Babajimi Benson, were also present.
The Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, Reno Omokri, and the Director of Protocol at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Sule Dan Agundi, also attended the ceremony.
Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria next week after completing the spiritual exercise in Saudi Arabia.