By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu joined the Catholic faithful and Christians worldwide in extoling the late Pope Francis, calling on the world to celebrate his legacy, by honoring him not with words alone but with action.
In a message he personally signed, President Tinubu said the late Pontiff was committed to lifting those who are down, “healing our communities, and defending the dignity of every person.”
According to the president, his passing, coming just after the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, is a sacred return to his maker at a time of renewed hope for Christians.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari
Former President Muhammadu Buhari, former vice president Atiku Abubakar, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi also extolled the virtues of the late Pope Francis.
Buhari, in a statement on Monday, and released by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, joined Christians all across the world in mourning the death of the head of the Catholic Church.
The former president said Christians in Nigeria and all over the world would miss the exemplary leadership of the church by a pope who served the poor and the weak, and cared much about migrants and refugees.
Faithful speak
Ambassador Abah Anthony John, a parishioner from the Catholic Church of the Archangels Parish Durumi Gaduwa Abuja, said that as a Catholic, the life of Pope Francis was an era of transformation and positive contributions to the Church.
“The reforms he brought especially in the area of environments, the laudato si documents that talked about care of our common home, the earth, is a masterpiece. The laudato si encyclical has been providing solutions to global environmental problems such as pollution, desertification, global warming, climate change and so many other environmental challenges that man has created for himself. We in the Catholic Church in Nigeria, will miss Pope Francis for his simplicity, for his care for the poor and for his ability to reach out to those who are in need”, he said.
On her part, Lady Delphine Asu, a parishioner at St. Augustine Catholic Church, Sun City Estate, Abuja, said the late pope ran a good race, as he was selfless and very accommodating.
“Because he was accommodating, some misunderstood it to mean he compromised. He gave up expensive gifts for the poor. He was a champion in environmental activism. His encyclical – Laudato Si, is a reference document on the care of the earth.
“He also promoted peace and peaceful coexistence. Even at his age and with his ill health, he was in touch with the happenings in the world. He consistently prayed for an end to war and persecution.
“He was very versatile and appreciated arts and other creative works. He was so humble and freely associated with youths and children. He will be greatly missed,” Asu said.
Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria
The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) on its part in a message by Rev. Fr. Michael Banjo, the Secretary-General, on behalf of the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, said it is not without spiritual significance that the late Pope Francs passed during the Easter Season; a time when the Church proclaims with joy the victory of Christ over death.
“His return to the Lord in this sacred season offers us a consoling reminder of the Christian hope in the resurrection and the promise of eternal life.”, he said.