President Bola Tinubu has concluded his four-day spiritual visit to Saudi Arabia, saying he prayed inside the Holy Kaaba in Makkah for wisdom and resilience to continue serving Nigerians.

The President, who performed the lesser pilgrimage, Umrah, also prayed for peace, unity and prosperity in Nigeria, expressing gratitude to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for granting him and members of his delegation access to the sacred structure.

In a statement on Monday, Tinubu described the rare privilege of entering the Kaaba as an honour and a reflection of the enduring bonds of faith and friendship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

“I have concluded my visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where, together with members of my delegation, I had the rare honour of entering the Holy Kaaba to pray, and of performing Umrah.

“I am deeply grateful to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

@KingSalman and to Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for extending this privilege to us, and for their gracious hospitality and brotherly care.

“It reflects the enduring bonds of faith and friendship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

“In those sacred moments, I prayed for peace, unity and prosperity for our dear nation and for all Nigerians,” the President wrote on his X handle.

Praying inside the Holy Ka’abah in Mecca, the President asked for wisdom and resilience to continue serving Nigerians.

According to a statement signed Monday by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President was led into the Ka’abah by Sheikh Dahlulah Muthawal of Masjid al-Haram, accompanied by ministers, governors, and business leaders who made up Nigeria’s delegation to the holy city.

“It is an honour that I enjoyed, and it is gracious of them to have allowed me to enter the Ka’abah. This is history,” Tinubu said.

He added, “I want to say a big thank you for the faith, for the recognition. I can’t believe the fencing of the Ka’abah is in Green-White-Green, which reminds us of the Nigerian identity.

“I thank the Crown Prince and all the administrators of the holy land. I thank them for the hospitality and recognition given to me as the leader of the delegation and the country.”

The President said he had specifically asked Allah for the strength to remain in service to the Nigerian people, and expressed confidence that the prayer had already been answered.

“I asked for wisdom and resilience to continue to serve the people. I know that prayer has been granted.

“Before the 2023 election, I did the same thing. I asked Allah to bless my Umrah then, and He did. And I promised that I would come back to thank Him,” Tinubu said.

Reflecting on the Quranic verse in Surah Aal-Imran, Verse 26, which affirms that Allah is the Owner of all sovereignty, granting power to whom He wills and taking it from whom He wills, the President said power was a trust to be exercised with humility and in the service of the people.

He said, “There is no other God but Almighty Allah. He is the giver and the taker. He owns power and authority.

He says, ‘If I give you, use it well. If you don’t use it in accordance with my dictates, I can take it from you and give it to another person. I am the only One who has that authority,’” the President said, rendering the Quranic verse.

He described his emergence as Nigeria’s President as an extraordinary favour from God and an obligation that demanded dedicated service to the country.

“Out of many millions of people, to be the President and Commander-in-Chief is a favour that only Almighty God can do to a human being,” he said.

On the economy, Tinubu said the foundations of Nigeria’s recovery were solid and urged Nigerians to look ahead with confidence.

“The foundation is solid, and the economy has come out of the dark tunnel. This is inspiring,” he said, while stressing that sustained investment in the country’s youth remained the central obligation of his administration.

“We need to build a future for our youth. If we don’t invest in their future, how do we want to be remembered as leaders 50 years from now?

“That’s the main thing. So this is a rare privilege to lead the country,” the President added.

He reaffirmed what he called his commitment to “Project Nigeria,” vowing to pursue policies that would promote prosperity and national development.

“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.

Monday’s events in Makkah marked the climax of a four-day spiritual visit during which Tinubu completed the lesser pilgrimage, Umrah, at the Grand Mosque, Masjid al-Haram, in the early hours of Friday, circling the Ka’abah in worship, devotion, and thanksgiving.

Speaking to journalists after completing the Umrah rites on Friday, the President described the visit as deeply significant, coming barely 70 days before the January 16 general elections, and directly invoked God’s authority over the outcome of the polls.

He said, “I believe that Allah’s wish in His court must prevail. And there’s no other God but Allah. Allah is the only one who can define a human being, what he will be, and what he will become.”

That statement came days after Tinubu officially flagged off his re-election campaign in Kaduna on October 24.

On Sunday, the President hosted members of his delegation to a third dinner in Makkah, during which he prayed for Nigeria’s diversity to become a source of prosperity rather than division.

During the visit, governors and members of the delegation offered prayers for a peaceful election and for the President’s continued leadership.

Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, had told the President, “Only Allah can reward you; we will continue to pray for you daily and pray for Nigeria that you lead.”

The delegation that accompanied Tinubu into the Ka’abah included the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate; governors of Borno, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kaduna, Yobe and Kwara states; BUA Group Chairman, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu; and Oando Plc Chief Executive Officer, Mr Wale Tinubu.