President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday joined other worshippers at the State House to witness the early closure of the daily Qur’anic recitation (Tafsir) in view of the Imam’s impending Umrah trip to Saudi Arabia.

The recitation and commentary of the Qur’an is a daily feature of the month-long Ramadan fasting period in places of Muslim worship and the one of this year has a special meaning for the President.

A statement signed by Garba Shehu, senior special Assistant to the president on Media and Publicity stated that this is the last time he will be officiating in the Tafsir as President and Commander-in-Chief bearing in mind the May 29 handover date.

As he is about to complete the two four-year terms of office in a matter of weeks, the Chief Imam, Sheikh Abdulwahab Sulaiman, turned the event into a valedictory ceremony.

He praised the President for his patience and forbearance and for his work in fighting corruption, terrorism and insurgency as well as the massive infrastructure projects he has put in place.

The Chief Imam also lauded President Buhari for setting high standards for probity and accountability and for service to the nation and its people with morality and integrity during his eight years in office. He said the President’s place in history was an assured one.

Prayers were said for the successful handover to the next administration under Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima.