Senate President Godswill Akpabio has arrived in Vatican City, leading a five-member Nigerian delegation ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis, set to take place on Saturday.
The delegation, appointed by President Bola Tinubu, is in the Vatican to represent Nigeria at the funeral of the late leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
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The Nigerian delegation comprises five prominent figures including, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu; President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji; Archbishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah; and Archbishop of the Abuja Diocese, Ignatius Ayua Kaigama.
Announcing the delegation’s arrival in Vatican City on Friday, Akpabio wrote on Facebook: “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.”
