Mr Peter Obi, the Labour Party‘s presidential candidate in the 2023 General Election, has concluded a spiritual pilgrimage to Rome during which he sought divine intervention for Nigeria’s many challenges, including an appeal for prayers from His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV. The pilgrimage, which coincided with the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year—a special event celebrated every twenty-five years—was undertaken with his wife, Margaret Obi, to dedicate their supplications to the nation.
Before arriving in Rome on 6 October, Obi spent two days in the United States, where he addressed the Friendship Club and spoke at the 1st Ubuntu African Youth Assembly in Washington. According to a statement he released, the former Anambra State Governor and his wife travelled to Rome to thank God for holding Nigeria together despite its sixty-five years of challenges since independence. Their prayers also included a plea for forgiveness for the nation’s “transgressions” and an urgent intervention in the suffering of the Nigerian populace.
The core of their spiritual mission was a journey through the four major Papal Basilicas in Rome, an essential part of the Jubilee observance. On 7 October, the couple passed through three Holy Doors at St. Mary Major, the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls—where they were warmly received by Cardinal James Harvey—and the Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran. They also prayed with deep reverence at the Scala Sancta (the Holy Steps), completing a day of profound spiritual reflection at some of Rome’s most sacred sites.
The high point of the pilgrimage occurred on 8 October, when the couple attended the Papal General Audience at St. Peter’s Basilica and heard the Catechesis of His Holiness on hope, perseverance, and steadfast faith. Following the audience, they completed their walk of faith by passing through the final Holy Door at the Basilica. They were later privileged to be received in a private audience by Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, to whom Obi appealed for prayers for his beloved country.
