Atiku, Obi, Dangote, others gather in Abuja for funeral prayers of El-Rufai’s mother

A host of political leaders, business figures and traditional rulers on Sunday converged on the National Mosque in Abuja for the funeral prayers of Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, mother of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

Among the dignitaries present at the Islamic funeral rites were former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, who joined family members and sympathisers to pay their final respects to the late matriarch.

Others in attendance included the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II; Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote; former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Also present were Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago, former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari, and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, among other prominent Nigerians.

Videos and photographs circulating online showed Obi and other dignitaries arriving at the mosque and joining other mourners ahead of the Janazah prayers.

Atiku later confirmed his attendance in a message shared on his X account, stating that he joined the El-Rufai family and associates to offer prayers for the deceased.

“Today, I joined family, friends and associates of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and the extended El-Rufai family at the Janazah of the matriarch of the family, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai,” he wrote.

He prayed for comfort for the bereaved family and eternal rest for the deceased, asking Allah to grant her Aljannah Firdaus.

Several public figures, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former senator Shehu Sani, and Nuhu Ribadu, had earlier paid glowing tributes to the late Hajiya Umma El-Rufai.