President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted an invitation from Pope Leo XIV to attend his inauguration as the 267th Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
According to a Statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuuga on Thursday, President Tinubu will depart Abuja for Rome on Saturday, accompanied by a delegation of top Catholic leaders, including Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.
In the invitation, Pope Leo XIV expressed his desire for President Tinubu’s presence at the inauguration, citing the importance of the occasion for the Catholic Church and the world.
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The Pope also highlighted his personal connection to Nigeria, having worked at the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos in the 1980s.
President Tinubu is expected to return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20, after attending the inauguration and a solemn mass marking the beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
