Tinubu sitting during Eid prayers sparks reactions

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, observed the Eid prayers at the Lagos Central Mosque, Oluwole, on Saturday.

It was observed that like the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), he also made use of a chair during the prayers and this has sparked some reactions on social media.

A Facebook user, Suleiman Ubandoma Dahiru, said, “When you cannot perform salat on normal positions, you can pray in any position available for you depending on your ailment. This confirmed that Tinubu is not physically fit to handle even his prayers.”

Responding to comments on Tinubu’s praying position, another user, Ma’aruf Ibrahim, clarified, “It is not a secret that he’s got problems with his knee and had a knee-cap replacement surgery in London. Sitting down to do salat here is understandable. In fact, it is even permissible to lie down and observe salat if health issues warrant a person to do so.”

Soaga Ibrahim Abiodun shared a photo and said, “This’s a segment of a mosque with chairs and there are more chairs in other segments of the mosques. I’m still very young and healthy but I prayed the Eid prayer sitting on a chair. There’re valid reasons why someone may sit to pray and that doesn’t depict arrogance or lack of humility before God. It doesn’t also always mean one is sick.”