The highly anticipated final wedding ceremony of ten children of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, was held on Friday at the National Mosque in Abuja.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the minister’s children are Maryam, Safiyya, Farida, Nana Firdausi, Aisha, Ibrahim, Abdul Jalal, Surajo, Bello, and Fahad.
The wedding fatiha, which drew a high-powered delegation of Nigeria’s political elite, including President Bola Tinubu, was officiated by Imam Luqman Zakariyah.
In a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) page, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that the President of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, Carlos Manuel Vila Nova, also attended the ceremony.
Roll call
The event was witnessed by state governors, members of the National Assembly, members of the Federal Executive Council, service chiefs, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and other well-wishers.
Mr Tinubu received the brides on behalf of the former Zamfara State governor, formally welcoming them into the family.
The four-day wedding marathon began on Tuesday,, with a henna party in Maitama and the Sa lalle at the Ministers’ Quarters. On Wednesday, the Kamu/Fulani Day celebration was held at the Armed Forces Officers’ Mess.
The Grand Soirée continued on Thursday at AIB Events City Park, Wuse 2. The final rites began on Friday with the Wankan Amarya at the Ministers’ Quarters, Mabushi, followed by the Jeyirin (mothers’ blessings) in Asokoro.
Prayers
Mr Zakariyah prayed to Almighty Allah to bless the marriages, grant the couples success in their life journeys, and bestow blessings upon their parents and grandparents.
He described Mr Tinubu as a father to all, and prayed that his tenure would restore hope to the hopeless across society.
“We pray to Almighty Allah to give our President, who is representing all, the father of all the brides and the grooms, good health.
“We also ask Allah to grant our President long life, prosperity, and success during his presidency. We pray that his tenure will bring hope to the hopeless,” he said.
