President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria following a four-day visit to Rome, where he attended the historic inauguration of Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.
He arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Tuesday evening and was received by a delegation of top government officials. Welcoming the President were the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje.
Tinubu had arrived in Italy on Saturday via the Mario De Bernardo Military Airport and was present at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Sunday for the installation of Pope Leo XIV as the Bishop of Rome and the 267th head of the Roman Catholic Church.
A video posted on the President’s official X handle showed him exchanging greetings and holding a brief conversation with the new pontiff during a reception after the inaugural mass.
The event drew numerous world leaders, including U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who also interacted with the new pope during the ceremony.
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected on May 8. During his inaugural homily, he called for unity across nations, an end to environmental exploitation, and the protection of the world’s most vulnerable communities.
While in Rome, President Tinubu also held informal meetings with key Nigerian political figures, including the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi. He used the occasion to reiterate his message of national unity, urging Nigerians to embrace the country’s diversity as a catalyst for progress and stability.
