- Senate President Akpabio emphasizes unity among Muslim and Christian senators, citing shared faith in one Supreme God
- Akpabio calls for collaboration among colleagues, prioritizing national interest over political differences or personal disputes
Senate President Godswill Akpabio delivered a message of unity and solidarity during a recent gathering with his Muslim colleagues in the National Assembly, reassuring them that religious differences would not divide them.
At the breaking of the fast (Iftar) ceremony attended by both Muslim and Christian senators, Akpabio underscored the significance of the simultaneous occurrence of Ramadan for Muslims and the Lenten period for Christians, viewing it as a testament to the shared faith in one Supreme God.
Akpabio said, “I want to congratulate all of us for breaking fast today and thank Almighty Allah for keeping us alive to see this day and pray that He will continue to protect us and continue to look after our health, look after our families through this Ramadan period and also use this opportunity to congratulate you on the Easter celebration.
“It is not a coincidence that God is merging the fasting of Muslims and Christians. This is about the second or third time it is happening.
“The intention is to show that we may have different religions, but we have only one God and that God is the Supreme God that looks after all of us. So to the glory of God, the invitation was for those of us who are still around. Those who have not yet gone to Saudi Arabia particularly for these last 10 days of Ramadan, that we should meet and break the fast together.
“And of course, we also invited the Christian senators to come. For them, it’s a celebration of the Easter period. Coming together is all that we need. We need to continue to work together as brothers and sisters of the one Almighty God, for the benefit of our dear country. Religion cannot divide us.
“No matter the turmoil, no matter the political disagreement, even families do disagree. But we must bear one thing in mind: we are serving humanity through Almighty God, and one day, we shall leave this world to go and account for our deeds while we were on earth. I think that is the guiding principle.”