Tinubu Sends High-Powered Delegation To Vatican For Pope Francis’ Burial

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

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, 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 beloved head of the Roman Catholic Church, passed away on Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, just a day after participating in Easter Sunday celebrations at the Vatican.

The Nigerian delegation is expected to formally present a letter from President Tinubu conveying his condolences to the Acting Head of the Vatican.

In a message released on Monday, President Tinubu joined Catholics and Christians worldwide in mourning the Pope’s death, describing him as “a humble servant of God, a tireless champion of the poor, and a guiding light for millions.”

The president noted that Pope Francis’s passing, occurring shortly after Easter, symbolizes “a sacred return to his Maker at a time of renewed hope for Christians.”