Peter Obi has wished the Muslim faithful a happy Eid-el-Kabir, urging them to pray to Allah to save Nigerians from economic hardships. 

Mr Obi, a candidate in the February 25 presidential poll, has often denounced the poverty level in Nigeria, accusing successive governments of not trying enough to reduce corruption and assist millions of impoverished Nigerians.

“Eid-El Kabir gives us ample opportunities to appreciate our creator whose mercy and grace to us are enormous, even when we do not deserve them,” Mr Obi said. “Nigerian Muslims should use this solemn period of Eid-El Kabir to present Nigeria’s discomforting situation to Allah for His prompt intervention.”

Mr Obi, who was Labour Party presidential candidate for 2023, made this call in his Eid-el-Kabir message shared on his Twitter page on Tuesday. 

“I urge Nigerians to devote themselves to the values that unite and bind all citizens in love. Let us permanently put behind all divisive tendencies,” the ex-Anambra governor added.

Mr Obi’s statement came as Nigerian Muslims lament high inflation rates, and the World Bank reported that “high inflation between December 2022 and April 2023 is estimated to have pushed four million more Nigerians into poverty.” 

Peoples Gazette reported that civil servants in Oyo on Tuesday identified the exorbitant prices of rams and petrol as impediments to celebrating the Eid-el-Kabir.

President Bola Tinubu, in his Eid-el-Kabir message, however, assured that he is “working day and night” to solve the economic crises plaguing Africa’s most populous nation.

Mr Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, announcing the immediate removal of the fuel subsidy, which saw the petrol pump price skyrocket to N540 from N195. However, the president did not mention plans to cushion his decision’s adverse effects on the Nigerian masses. 

Earlier in June, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that Nigeria’s annual inflation rate rose to 22.41 per cent amid increased food prices.