Senate President Godswill Akpabio will head a high-powered Nigerian delegation to Vatican City for the burial of Pope Francis, scheduled for Saturday.
The delegation, constituted by President Bola Tinubu, was announced in a statement on Friday by Bayo Onanuga, the Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy.
Joining Akpabio are Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria; Archbishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese; and Archbishop Ignatius Ayua Kaigama of Abuja Diocese.
Pope Francis, the globally revered leader of the Roman Catholic Church, passed away on Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, just a day after presiding over Easter Sunday Mass at the Vatican.
The Nigerian delegation is expected to formally deliver a condolence letter from President Tinubu to the Acting Head of the Vatican, expressing Nigeria’s sympathy over the pontiff’s demise.
Earlier this week, Tinubu mourned the late Pope, describing him as “a humble servant of God, a tireless advocate for the poor, and a spiritual beacon for millions worldwide.”
The President noted that Pope Francis’ passing, shortly after Easter celebrations, symbolized “a sacred return to his Maker at a time of renewed hope for Christians.”
The burial ceremony is expected to draw world leaders, religious figures, and dignitaries from across the globe to pay their final respects to the late pontiff.
