Lawrence Olaoye 
President Bola Tinubu has extended his warmest congratulations to His Holiness Leo XIV on his election as the Bishop of Rome and new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The President congratulated the Conclave for electing American cleric, Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost, as the 267th Bishop of Rome.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu celebrated with the leadership and faithful of the Catholic Church in Nigeria on the historic election of the new Pontiff, whose message of faith and hope has already begun to resonate globally, offering reassurance of a more peaceful world rooted in scripture.
President Tinubu acknowledged the long-standing and valued relationship between Nigeria and the Holy See, highlighting the Catholic Church’s significant contributions to peacebuilding, education, healthcare, infrastructure development, and more recently, the promotion of technology to enhance human capacity.
He described the election of Pope Leo XIV as the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Catholic Church—one anchored in its enduring values of love, humanity, and charity, especially towards the underprivileged.
The President prayed that Almighty God would continue to shed His light of glory on the new spiritual leader and grant him good health and divine wisdom to carry forth his message of peace and love to all nations.
