Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Patrick Eluke as the new Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt.

His appointment follows the resignation of Bishop Camillus Archibong Etokudoh, who reached the retirement age of 75 in August 2024.

Bishop Etokudoh served as the Bishop of Port Harcourt for 16 years, following 20 years of episcopal service in the Diocese of Ikot Ekpene.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) announced that the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty, disclosed the appointment during a Holy Mass at the Cathedral in Port Harcourt, held as part of his three-day pastoral visit to the diocese.

Archbishop Crotty explained that Bishop Eluke, who had been serving as the Auxiliary Bishop of Port Harcourt, will now take over the administrative responsibilities of the diocese in an interim capacity, pending the appointment of a substantive bishop.

“By this appointment, Bishop Eluke, who has been the Auxiliary Bishop of Port Harcourt Diocese, takes over the responsibilities of administratively managing the diocese in the interim, pending the appointment of a substantive bishop,” Crotty said.