Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi were among the dignitaries who attended the funeral prayers of Hajia Umma El-Rufai at the National Mosque on Sunday. The late Hajia El-Rufai was the mother of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Other notable attendees included the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani. Videos circulating on social media showed Obi and Ribadu arriving at the mosque, greeting fellow mourners, and joining the congregation for the Janazah (Islamic funeral) prayers.
Atiku Abubakar also shared his attendance on his X handle, writing: “Today, I joined family, friends and associates of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and the extended El-Rufai family at the Janazah (funeral prayer) of the matriarch of the family, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai. May God continue to comfort the family and all who mourn her. And may Allah grant her Aljannah Firdaus. Amin.”
Hajia Umma El-Rufai passed away on Friday in Cairo, Egypt, where she had been receiving treatment for an age-related illness. Prior to the funeral, several prominent Nigerians, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Atiku, Ribadu, and Governor Sani, had paid tributes to the deceased, expressing condolences to the El-Rufai family.
