Tinubu arrives Rome for inauguration of Pope Leo XIV

President Bola Tinubu arrived in Rome, Italy, on Saturday to join other world leaders at the solemn mass marking the beginning of the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV.
The installation mass of the 267th bishop of Rome and the Roman Catholic Church’s new leader will take place on Sunday, May 18.
Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga said in a statement that Mr Tinubu was received at the Mario De Bernardo Military Airport by Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and officials from Vatican City and the Nigerian Embassy after the plane touched down at 6:00 p.m. local time.
Mr Tinubu is in Rome to honour the new pope’s invitation, conveyed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State.
The papal invitation underscored the need for Mr Tinubu’s physical presence “at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.”
“Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s,” Pope Leo XIV further said in the invitation.
Mr Tinubu’s entourage includes the Archbishop of Owerri and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, and Alfred Martins of Lagos.
Mathew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, is also in the president’s entourage.
(NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette

Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

States
Niger: Police rescue two suspected phone thieves from mob
He identified the suspects as Hassan Abdullahi, 20, and Khalifa Bashir, 22.

Heading 5
Court of Appeal nullifies Electoral Act provisions on parties’ primary election, membership register
Zenith Party argued that the disputed Electoral Act provisions unlawfully interfered with the internal affairs of political parties.

Lagos
Governor Sanwo-Olu inaugurates climate investment fund
Mr Sanwo-Olu described the fund as a landmark intervention.

States
Judiciary partners revenue board to boost IGR in Taraba
Mr Agya commended the service for its reforms.

NationWide
NRC reaffirms police partnership to protect rail assets
Mr Opeifa described the nation’s railway infrastructure as critical national assets that must be safeguarded.






