President Bola Tinubu arrived in Rome, Italy, on Saturday to attend the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV, the 267th bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church.
Shortly after his arrival, Tinubu shared photos from the Vatican, including images from a dinner held in his honour.
In a post on his official X handle, the president said he was hosted to the dinner by Pietro Paroling, a cardinal and secretary of state to the Vatican.
“Upon my arrival in Rome ahead of the solemn Mass marking the beginning of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, I was warmly received and graciously hosted to dinner by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State to the Vatican,” Tinubu wrote.
“Our dialogue was marked by a spirit of fraternity and a shared vision for the future, focusing on common values such as peace, mutual respect, and global solidarity. I expressed Nigeria’s deep appreciation for the Vatican’s longstanding goodwill and reaffirmed our commitment to promoting interfaith dialogue, tolerance, and cooperation in an increasingly polarised world.
“As always, Nigeria remains a nation open to friendship, grounded in faith, and committed to building bridges of understanding across the world.”
However, checks by TheCable on the Vatican website show that Tinubu was hosted by Kevin Joseph Farrell, a cardinal and prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life — not the secretary of state to the Vatican.
Farrel is also the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, president of the Commission for Confidential Matters, and president of the committee for investments.
About 24 hours after the post was made, neither the president nor the presidency has clarified the mix-up.
Tinubu attended Pope Leo’s inauguration on Sunday.
