Photo caption: Senate President Godswill Akpabio
Nigeria was well represented at the burial of Pope Francis in the Vatican City, Italy today.
The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio led the Nigerian delegation to the global ceremony to honour one of the world’s best, Pope Francis who was Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Flores, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936.
The Nigerian delegation was constituted by President Tinubu himself to attend the burial.
The Senate President is leading a five-member high-level delegation constituted by President Bola Tinubu to represent Nigeria at the funeral rites of the 88-year-old pontiff.
The Nigerian delegation consists of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji; the Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah; and the Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Ignatius Kaigama.
According to presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the delegation will deliver a letter conveying Tinubu’s sympathy and condolences on the passing of Pope Francis to the Acting Head of the Vatican.
Meanwhile, in a post on his Facebook page on Friday, Akpabio said he paid tribute to the departed Pope on behalf of the President and the Nigerian people.
“As the Leader of Nigeria’s delegation to the burial ceremony of Pope Francis, I paid tribute to our departed Pope, on behalf of President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian People at the Lying-in-State of Pope Francis, inside St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City,” he wrote.
Pope Francis drew his last breath on Monday, April 21, 2025, serving as the head of the Roman Catholic Church since 2013.
Tinubu, in a condolence message on Monday, joined the Catholic faithful and Christians worldwide to mourn the demise of the Pope, whom he described as “a humble servant of God, a tireless champion of the poor, and a guiding light for millions.”
As the Leader of Nigeria’s delegation to the burial ceremony of Pope Francis, I paid tribute to our departed Pope, on behalf of President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian People at the Lying-in-State of Pope Francis, inside St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.
