Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has emphasized that Nigeria was under Muslim leadership during previous papal visits to the country, noting the significance of interfaith relations in Nigeria’s governance history.
In an interview with Channels TV from 10:54, Bishop Kukah stated, “For Nigeria as a country of this nature, we’ve had three Pope visits. Late Pope John Paul II came twice, in 1982 and 1998. When Late Pope John Paul II came to Nigeria, Muslims were in charge of Nigeria. Shagari in 1982 and Abacha in 1998 before his death, and then Tinubu visiting the Pope. I think that speaks a lot to the nature of the sense of urgency that Nigerian leaders and Nigerian Christians and Muslims and the investment that we must make in avoiding the collision that is created in the name of religion.”
The Bishop expressed concern about Nigerian leadership’s failure to properly separate religion from governance. “One of the most tragic things that hasn’t happened in Nigeria is that those who govern Nigeria have not had the political will to set the tone, to put religion where it ought to be, and to put the state where it ought to be,” he said. He referenced Section 10 of the Constitution which prohibits state adoption of any religion, while acknowledging the gap between this provision and actual practice.
Kukah emphasized that there is a need for a Nigerian Law that is respected without any religion interference, “The modern state must focus on the fact that Islam can be a source of law; Christian values can be a source of law; African traditional rights can be a source of law. But all of us must become citizens under one law.”
The Bishop also noted the historic significance of President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Rome, marking the first time a Nigerian President has attended a papal inauguration. He observed that President Tinubu and the Pope share a connection through their time spent in Chicago, which contributed to a positive chemistry between the two leaders.
