Conversation heard by others during prayer session
From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Barely 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari told Nigerians he would stay back in London, United Kingdom for a longer rest, Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, has spoken to him on phone in vernacular.
According to a press statement by Alhaji Salihi Tanko Yakassai, Director General (Media & Communications) to Kano State governor, the conversation between President Buhari and Governor Ganduje was on speaker, which other participants in a special prayer held at Kano Government House, for the quick recovery of the president, heard.
It was gathered that while the prayer was on, an associate of Buhari called him for a private discussion, after which he told the president he was at a prayer session organised by the Kano State government on his behalf.
Buhari, it was gathered, asked him to handover the phone to Governor Ganduje and spoke with him for three minutes. As they spoke, the governor put the phone on speaker, to the hearing of others.
The statement said the president expressed his appreciation to Nigerians for their goodwill and prayers, saying his condition had improved.
It quoted Buhari as saying: “Alhamdulillah (all praise be to Allah),” when Ganduje enquired: “How are you feeling now, Your Excellency?”
The statement said Governor Ganduje told President Buhari that Islamic scholars and Imams in Kano were praying for his speedy recovery. The governor also told the president that the over 7, 000 Juma’at mosques in Kano had been directed to pray for him, said the statement.
To this, the president remarked: “Maa shaa Allah,” meaning: “God willed it,” an Arabic phrase used to show appreciation for a person or happening evoked upon hearing good news.
The statement quoted Buhari as expressing hope that Allah would accept the prayers and asked the governor to extend his best wishes to the Islamic scholars.
Governor Ganduje, who was highly elated, remarked that going by the voice of the president, his health had greatly improved, while expressing the hope that he would get well soon, the statement stated.
“We prayed for Buhari to win and he won. It is now mandatory on us to rally round his government and pray for his well-being,” the statement quoted Ganduje as saying.
The prayer session, which brought together about 300 Imams and Islamic leaders from all Islamic denominations across the state, was attended by the state Deputy Governor, Professor Hafiz Abubakar, Chief Imam of Kano, Professor M.S. Zahraddeen; state Commissioner of Police, Rabi’u Yusuf, legislators and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, the statement revealed.