PHOTOS: Akpabio, Others arrive Vatican for Pope’s funeral

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dispatched a high-level Nigerian delegation to Vatican City to attend the burial of His Holiness, Pope Francis, scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 2025.

Leading the five-member delegation is Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Other members include the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu; Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, who is the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria; Archbishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese; and Archbishop Ignatius Ayua Kaigama of the Abuja Diocese.

Pope Francis, the widely respected head of the Roman Catholic Church, passed away on Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, barely a day after presiding over the Easter Sunday service at the Vatican.

According to a statement from the State House, the Nigerian delegation will formally deliver a letter of condolence from President Tinubu to the Acting Head of the Vatican, expressing the nation’s sympathy and support to the Catholic faithful around the world.

President Tinubu had earlier joined Catholics and Christians globally to mourn the late Pope, describing him as “a humble servant of God, a tireless champion of the poor, and a guiding light for millions.”

In his message, the President noted that Pope Francis’ passing, coming so soon after the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, symbolises a sacred return to his Creator at a season of renewed hope for Christians.

The statement was signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, and dated April 25, 2025.

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