Nigeria, May 21 -- At a time when the whole country is rejoicing and proud of the fact that President Tinubu embarked on a two-day trip to Rome to attend the inaugural Mass of the newly-installed Pope Leo XIV, Babachir Lawal, the former secretary to the Federal Government, has described his attendance as a "non-event" and alleged that it came about "as a consequence of the work of lobbyists."

I have always had immense respect for this man and considered him a friend but I am constrained to ask whether he has lost his senses?

He has refused to recognise the fact that, as I pointed out on X on the day our president went to Rome, that no Nigerian president has ever honoured the Pope in this way and neither has any ever been given the honou...