“Electing a Pope Isn’t ‘Emilokan’—Let Africa Win the World Cup First” – Bishop Kukah.

Monday May 26, 2025|

In a stirring interview on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm, Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese offered sobering insights into global religious leadership and the African place within it.

Speaking just after the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV in Rome, Kukah emphasized that the papacy cannot be reduced to regional entitlement. “Electing a pope is not an ‘Emilokan’ scenario,” he said, referring to the Yoruba term meaning “it’s my turn.”

Kukah cautioned Africans against projecting political sentiments onto spiritual matters. “Let’s win the World Cup first,” he said with candor, pushing back against recurring calls for an African Pope. “You can’t say, ‘These people have had their turn, now it’s ours.’ It doesn’t work like that.”