Senate President Godswill Akpabio has arrived in Vatican City, leading a high-powered Nigerian delegation to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, which is scheduled for Saturday.
The delegation was constituted by President Bola Tinubu to represent Nigeria at the funeral rites of the late pontiff, who served as the head of the Roman Catholic Church until his passing.
Akpabio, in a Facebook post on Friday, said, “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 inside St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.”
Others in the delegation include the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu; President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji; Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah; and Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Ignatius Ayua Kaigama.
The Nigerian team joins world leaders and religious figures from across the globe gathered in Vatican City to pay their final respects to the Pope, who was widely admired for his humility, progressive views, and commitment to global peace.
“His Holiness touched millions of lives with his compassion and unwavering dedication to humanity. His loss is deeply felt not only by Catholics but by people of all faiths,” Akpabio added.
The funeral marks the end of a remarkable era for the Catholic Church, with Pope Francis remembered for his social justice advocacy and efforts to reform Church doctrine.
