Akpabio, Bianca, Kukah make Nigeria’s delegation to pope’s funeral
By Jeffrey Agbo
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Senate President Godswill Akpabio as head of a delegation to Vatican City to attend the burial of His Holiness, Pope Francis, on Saturday, April 26.
Akpabio will lead a five-member delegation, a statement on Friday by the president’s spokesman Bayo Onanuga said.
Other members of the delegation are the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria; Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Archbishop Matthew Hassan Kukah; and Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Archbishop Ignatius Ayua Kaigama.
Pope Francis, the revered head of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Monday, April 21, 2025, at 88, just a day after appearing for Easter Sunday celebrations at the Vatican.
READ MORE: Pope Francis: Here are 10 facts about the late Catholic pontiff
“The delegation will formally deliver a letter conveying President Tinubu’s sympathy and condolences on Pope Francis’ passing to the Acting Head of the Vatican,” the statement said.
On Monday, President Tinubu joined the Catholic faithful and Christians worldwide to mourn the death of Pope Francis, who he described as “a humble servant of God, a tireless champion of the poor, and a guiding light for millions.”
In the condolence message, Tinubu remarked that Pope Francis’s death, coming just after the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, is a sacred return to his maker at a time of renewed hope for Christians.
