President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians to set aside their differences and celebrate the love and joy that Christmas bring. “I heartily rejoice with our Christian brothers and sisters on the occasion of this year’s Christmas,” the president said in his Christmas message to Nigerians on Saturday.
“Many of us look forward to this festive season as a time to travel, share gifts, spend quality time with family and friends, attend special carols and events, and generally relive the good moments of the year. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves, Christmas is a period when we come together to rejoice and set aside our differences.”
Nigerians, he reiterated, should celebrate the period by showing genuine love, care, compassion, and empathy for one another”. “We must never lose sight of the symbiotic relationship between Christmas and hope; Jesus Christ and humility, Christianity and grace. “In this season of love, joy, and peace, let us not fail to remember those who really wish to celebrate but are constrained in one way or the other by reaching out to them,” the Nigerian leader continued.
Describing this Christmas as unique, Buhari said he has cherished memories about the period since he became president in 2015. “For me and my family, this year’s celebration is unique. It is my last as your elected President. Twenty-two weeks from now, this administration will hand over to another,” he added.
