Nigeria’s opposition leader, Mr Peter Obi, has arrived at the Vatican to pay his last respects to Pope Francis, the Supreme Pontiff, who died on Monday.

The former Governor of Anambra State and 2023 Labour Party Presidential Candidate was among the early set of mourners given the privilege to pay their last respects to the departed pope.

A photo seen by News Express showed Obi and veteran Vatican cleric, Nigeria’s Cardinal Francis Arinze, in a group of four mourners standing close to the open casket of Pope Francis.

News Express reports that Obi, a devout Catholic, enjoyed close relations with the departed pope.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis became the head of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013.

On Monday, April 21, the Vatican announced his death with His Eminence, Cardinal Farrell, revealing that Pope Francis died at 7:35 a.m. local time after a period of illness from which he was recovering upon his discharge from hospital. He was aged 88 and died of stroke occasioned by heart attack, according to the Vatican.

The pope’s body began lying in state today in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.

Thousands are on the queue to see pay their last respects and many more are expected to join in seeing his body, which will stay in front of the Papal Altar during the three days of public mourning, before his funeral on Saturday.