Nigeria's ailing President Muhammadu Buhari marked the end of Ramzan with an audio broadcast to the nation, his first public message since heading to London on medical leave nearly two months ago, the president's office said.
The recording attributed to the president was played on Nigerian radio channels over the weekend and featured a tired hesitant voice that appeared to be his, speaking in the Hausa language used in the Muslim-majority north, where Buhari is from.
"I am immensely grateful to God for his mercy in guiding us successfully to conclude another Ramadan fast," he said, according to a translation provided by his office. "My greetings to all Nigerian Muslims and our brother Christians on the occasion of Eid-al-Fitr."
Some Nigerians questioned the use of Hausa for Buhari's first message since departing for London on May 7, accusing him of addressing only his kinsmen rather than the nation as a whole.
Tensions are currently high between different ethnic groups, including Hausa-speaking Fulani herdsmen, who have clashed with farmers in the central state of Taraba recently, killing dozens.
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has also appealed for unity in the face of a call by northerners in Kaduna for Christian Igbos living there to return to the southeast, where they are dominant.
Eid, a normally joyous occasion, marks the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.
"I, again, appeal to all Nigerians to avoid reckless statements or actions against our fellow countrymen," he said.
"We should all resolve to live in peace and unity in our great country," he added in the recording. It was not possible to determine when it was made.
There has been much speculation about the state of Buhari's health and despite reassurances from the government there have been reports on local media and social networks that the 74-year-old has difficulty speaking and suffers from memory loss.
He spent nearly two months in London for health reasons at the beginning of the year and on his return said he underwent blood transfusions and "couldn't recall being so sick since I was a young man".
No information was provided on his medical condition but he appeared extremely weak during his last appearances in public.
The government has said there is no cause for alarm over Buhari's health and that the reason for his departure was a follow-up medical consultation.
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