Matthew Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, has said that the election of a new pope is not based on sentiments or political entitlement, unlike the ‘emi lokan’ ideology that has gained traction in Nigerian politics.
Speaking during a Channels Television interview aired on May 21, Kukah addressed recent conversations surrounding the possibility of an African pope following Pope Francis‘s death and the subsequent election of Pope Leo XIV on May 18.
The phrase ‘emi lokan’, meaning ‘it is my turn’ in Yoruba, was made popular by President Bola Tinubu in 2022 when he declared it was his turn to lead Nigeria after supporting the election of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
But Kukah dismissed any such comparison with the papal selection process, saying:
“Electing a pope is not like that. It’s not an ‘emi lokan’ scenario where you say, ‘these people have had their turn, now it’s our turn.’ No, it doesn’t work like that.”He said speculations about the possibility of an African pope, including past suggestions that Nigeria’s Cardinal Francis Arinze came close to being elected, are often driven by political thinking and human logic, factors that don’t apply in papal elections.
“People make these calculations and predictions like they’re betting on a horse. But the process isn’t driven by human permutations. The Catholic Church believes the elected pope is chosen by the Holy Spirit,” Kukah explained.
The bishop also emphasised that, unlike in African political systems, the papacy does not bring geopolitical benefits to the pope’s home country.
“Unlike African politics, the pope’s country of origin doesn’t get any advantage. That’s not how the Church works.”
By Dailyblast
