Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has sparked national and international reflection following a no-holds-barred interview on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm, where he cautioned Africans against politicizing the papacy or reducing it to a matter of entitlement.
Speaking shortly after the installation of Pope Leo XIV in Rome, Bishop Kukah pushed back against rising sentiments calling for an African Pope. “This is not an ‘Emilokan’ affair,” he said, referencing the Yoruba phrase meaning “It’s my turn.” “The papacy is not about whose turn it is—it’s about moral weight, spiritual maturity, and global responsibility.”
In a blend of wit and wisdom, the respected cleric remarked, “Let’s win the World Cup first,” highlighting the need for Africans to focus on deeper structural progress before seeking symbolic representation on the world stage.
Kukah described the Vatican as a sacred and strategic space—“a moral compass and a political meeting ground” where global adversaries sit side by side in pursuit of dialogue and diplomacy. He emphasized that for Africa to make a lasting impact in such spaces, it must come with substance, not sentiment.
Turning attention back home, Kukah criticized Nigeria’s enduring struggle to separate religion from governance. “The Nigerian state has failed to put religion where it ought to be,” he said, taking aim at both political elites and traditional rulers for using religion as a tool without responsibility.
He also delved into the complex historical context of Northern Nigeria’s current unrest, urging a deeper understanding of the colonial disruptions that dismantled Islamic power structures and left lasting scars on the region’s socio-political fabric.
In what many see as a message for both church and state, Kukah called on Africans to pursue maturity over symbolism. “You can have a Pope who is African by origin,” he concluded, “but the idea of an ‘African Pope’ as a political milestone misses the essence of what the Church truly stands for.”
Bishop Kukah’s interview is already resonating widely, adding his voice to the ongoing global conversation about Africa’s role not just in religious leadership, but in international affairs defined by merit, vision, and integrity.
