JUMA'AT 1 President Muhammadu Buhari (M) flanked by the Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari and NSA Maj Gen Babagana Monhonu during the Juma'at prayers. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. MAY 5 2017
President Muhammadu Buhari and hundreds of Muslim faithful on Friday observed the weekly two raka’at prayer at the Aso Rock Mosque, Abuja but it ended without a rumoured wedding between the President and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq.
Ahead of the Juma’at, Presidency sources had dismissed the so-called second wife tale as a hoax and only an infantile imagination of nay-sayers and wailers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that presidential aides, some cabinet ministers and former governor of Zamfara, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, were among the personalities at the mosque.
It was also observed that today’s Friday prayer witnessed seemingly unprecedented number of faithful in what appeared to be an attempt by some “curious worshippers’’ to confirm or disbelief social media story on a purported marriage saga involving the president.
NAN reports that on Oct. 10, a social media story on President Buhari getting set to marry the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, as the second wife, went viral.
The media post, which stated Oct. 11 as the wedding date, was also widely circulated on the social media with Facebook and Twitter users aiding its circulation.
However, those worshippers, who were at the Aso Rock mosque to witness `’the social media `created’ wedding Fatiha’’, were disappointed as they only witnessed Buhari exchanging pleasantries with citizens after the prayer session.
Some of the worshippers, who spoke to NAN on the incident, showered curses on originators of the “fake wedding story’’ which dominated the social media for weeks.
Alhaji Aliyu Mudi condemned those behind the fake news, calling on well-meaning citizens to always shun unverified social media reports.
Another social commentator, who simply gave his name as Malam Siddique, called on the Federal Government to urgently do something about fake news in the social media “before it is too late’’.
The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, was on Friday quoted by the Tribune Online dismissing the news, saying it is “a deceptive manoeuvre by those who fabricated the news’’.
NAN also reports that the minister mentioned in the fake marriage, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk, who is currently in Switzerland on official assignment, posted on her twitter handle saying the news was far from the truth.
“Dear Nigerians, please kindly ignore all rumours as this is not true.
“We are currently completely focused on making sure we have a better Nigeria.
“Let’s continue to pray for our dear country Nigeria. God bless,’’ she said.
