Messages of hope and unity as Nigerian leaders join kontri pipo for Easter celebration

Christians around di world dey celebrate di resurrection of Jesus Christ wit Easter celebration and politicians and clerics don send out messages of hope, peace and love at di time Nigeria need am pass.

Di messages dey necessary sake of di division wey di just-concluded Nigeria general elections cause for di kontri.

Di 2023 Easter celebration dey shele at a time wey Nigeria need to strengthen di love and peace wey exist among different ethnic groups and religions before political interests begin threaten dem.

'Shun ethnic and religious sentiment'

Nigeria President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu send im best wishes to Christians for Nigeria and all ova di world wey dey celebrate Easter.

Tinubu say Nigeria go make faster progress towards di achievement of peaceful, united, strong, progressive and prosperous kontri if pipo shun ethnic and religious sentiments and rivalries and begin to live more harmoniously.

"Easter dey about renewed hope and redemption. E symbolise di triumph of hope ova despair, love ova hate and condemnation, and optimisim ova cynicsm," Tinubu tok.

On im own part, President Muhammadu Buhari say make Nigerians celebrate di Easter in love, compassion, kindness, resilience and forgiveness.

‘We dey united as brothers’

Labour Party presidential candidate for di 2023 general elections Peter Obi for im Easter message wish all Christians a happy celebration and pray say di message and blessings of di resurrection go remain wit us.

Obi also send special greetings and prayers to Muslim brothers and sisters wey dey currently observe di Ramadan fasting.

“Sake of say we all dey united as brothers and sisters, and in our trust for di mercies and infinite benevolence of God Almighty, I urge all Nigerians, particularly di youths make dem no despair in di face of many challenges and tribulations wey we dey face as kontri,” Obi tok.

E say Nigerians go continue to pray for beta kontri where equity, fairness, peace, unity, accountable leadership and prosperity go reign.

'Reach out to pipo in need'

Presidential Candidate of di Peoples Democratic Party Atiku Abubakar say dis na time to reach out to Nigerians wey dey in need.

E also tok say Nigerians gatz come togeda to pray for di peace of di kontri and add say Nigeria go remain stronger if all kontri pipo dey united.

Meanwhile, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State say Nigeria na great kontri but na leadership challenge dey affect am and dis one dey make citizens dey live for poor conditions.

E urge Nigerians to emulate di selfless virtue of Jesus Christ so dem go fit get a great nation.

On im own part, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State also call on Christians and all Nigerians to reflect and commit diasef to di advancement of peace, love and unity in appreciation of di great sacrifice wey Jesus Christ make to save mankind.

Speaker of di House of Representative Femi Gbajabiamila also call for di peaceful coexistence among Nigerians now and always.

Gbajabiamila say make citizens, especially Christians, use di period to pray for peaceful transition on 29 May.

'We fit get our kontri back'

Di Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Most Reverend Ignatius Kaigama for im Easter message remind Nigerians say dem fit reclaim dia kontri from di hands of terrorists and oda elements of oppression.

E tok say hope, faith, and perseverance dey important wen facing challenges.

On im own part, di Chairman of di Niger State chapter of di Christian Association of Nigeria Most Reverend Bulus Yohana call on all Nigerians to dey hopeful say di kontri go overcome di present challenges.

Origins of Easter

According to di New Testament for Bible, na Romans crucify Jesus Christ around 30 A.D. And im die on di cross on a Friday and dem bury am inside a tomb outside of Jerusalem.

Three days later, on Sunday, im rise from di dead, according to Mathew 28:1 - 10.

Christians dey celebrate di resurrection each year on Easter Sunday, afta di 40-day season of Lent.

Lent dey begin on Ash Wednesday and end with Holy Week, wey include Palm Sunday, wey dey remember how Jesus take enter Jerusalem.

Maundy Thursday dey honour di Last Supper, Good Friday dey remember di day dem crucify Jesus, and Holy Saturday na di time of transition between di crucifixion and resurrection.

Easter dey known as Pascha in di Orthodox Church. Pascha na di Greek word for "Passover".

Di Orthodox Church dey celebrate "di eternal Passover from death to life from earth heaven."

Great Lent, di time of fasting wey be di strictest for di church, dey take place for 40 days and end eight days before Easter on Lazarus Saturday—wen Jesus raise Lazarus from di dead, according to Eastern orthodoxy.

Palm Sunday and Holy Week go kon follow, as fasting continue until Easter. Orthodox Easter dey always follow di Jewish holiday of Passover.

Many historians, wey cite 8th-century monk and Anglo-Saxon scholar di Venerable Bede for im "The Reckoning of Time," believe say di name Easter come from Eostre, di Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility.

E always dey portrayed in drawings surrounded by hares and dey believed to be worshiped during pagan festivals.

Anglo-Saxons bin also reportedly refer to di month of April as Eostre-monath.