Sultan of Sokoto Visits Tinubu Ahead of Eid-al-Fitr 2026, Photos, Video Emerge

• The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar III, has paid a visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House, Abuja
• The visit was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on his X handle
• Photos released by the State House media office on Sunday, March 15, showed the President and the Sultan in warm exchanges during what appeared to be a private audience

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering religious activities in Nigeria and worldwide.

FCT, Abuja - As Muslims look forward to the Eid-al-Fitr 2026, Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, has visited President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.

According to an update from Bayo Onanuga, a presidential spokesperson, the visit took place on Sunday, March 15.

Onanuga shared X photos of the two men exchanging pleasantries and engaging in discussion.

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A video of the meeting can be viewed below via X:

The visit of the president-general of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) comes as Muslims in Nigeria prepare for the Eid-al-Fitr 2026 festival.

Shawwal crescent update ahead of Eid 2026

Meanwhile, ahead of Eid-al-Fitr 2026, Umar Jubril Simwal, a prominent member of the National Moon Sighting Committee (NMSC), announced that the Shawwal 1447 crescent (new moon) will occur on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 2.23 am.

In a statement shared on his verified X (formerly Twitter) page, Simwal, an ally of the Sultan of Sokoto, said that the new moon conjunction “will take place after sunset on March 18,” when Ramadan fasting reaches 29 days.

Sharing predictive markers from Mohammad Odeh, the director of the International Astronomical Centre in Abu Dhabi, Simwal stressed that searching for the new moon “is an act of ibadah (worship) and a means of earning reward.”

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Eid-al-Fitr 2026: Top national moonsighting committee member releases message on Shawwal crescent

His message partly reads:

"Sighting the new crescent on (Thursday 19th and Friday 20th March. Please note that the new moon conjunction will take place after sunset on March 18th/29th Ramadan, which is why there is no graph available for that evening) is shown in the graphs below using the programme Accurate Times by Mohammad Odeh according to Odeh criterion."

When is Eid-al-Fitr 2026?

In the same vein, Sheikh Yunus Teliat, the grand chief Imam of Ogbomosoland in Oyo State, explained that Eid-al-Fitr 2026 will be on either Thursday, March 19 or Friday, March 20.

In a video posted on his official Facebook page on Saturday, March 14, and seen by Legit.ng, Sheikh Teliat urged Nigerian Muslims to follow announcements from Alhaji Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto.

Teliat asked Muslims in Nigeria to listen only to the NSCIA leader.

Sultan’s rep announces start of Ramadan

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Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin, declared Wednesday, February 18, 2026, as the first day of Ramadan 1447AH.

Al-Amin said the declaration was based on the sighting of the moon in major parts of the country earlier on Tuesday, February 17, which is the 29th day of the month of Shaban and thereby signifies February 18 as the first day of Ramadan 1447.

Al-Amin represented the Sultan of Sokoto, who was out of Nigeria.

Source: Legit.ng