Senate President Godswill Akpabio has prayed for peace in Nigeria, an end to banditry and terrorism, and peaceful general elections in 2027.
Akpabio offered the prayers during a visit to the Prayer Ground of St Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.
The Senate President visited the holy site alongside members of his entourage.
Speaking to St Padre Pio TV/Radio in Italy, Akpabio said the delegation visited the prayer ground to seek God’s blessings for themselves, their families and Nigeria.
“We are all from Nigeria. We came to offer prayers and get blessings from God for ourselves, families and our dear country that is currently being ravaged by banditry and terrorism,” he said.
Akpabio said the country’s security challenges required divine intervention.
“We are here on this prayer ground and we are going home fulfilled that we were able to touch this holy ground and drop our intentions, which he will take to God on our behalf,” he added.
The Senate President described the site as a holy ground and commended its preservation.
“I am very impressed that the place has been well kept. This is a holy ground,” he said.
Akpabio said followers of St Padre Pio believed in his intercession.
He also recounted what he described as a miraculous experience involving his wife, Mrs Unoma Akpabio.
According to him, his wife spent six months in a German hospital after an operation went wrong and remained in a coma for an extended period.
“My wife was in a coma for six months in a hospital in Germany. She was 98 per cent dead,” Akpabio said.
He said he had used a picture of Padre Pio to make the sign of the cross on his wife instead of switching off her life-support machine.
“She had an operation that went wrong. I cried to Mother Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, and called on Pio to intercede.
“Miraculously, she woke up. That hospital, up till today, is yet to understand what happened,” he said.
Akpabio said the experience strengthened his faith in the saint’s intercession.
“As someone who has experienced the powers in where I am standing, I can understand it more than anyone else,” he added.
The Senate President disclosed that the visit marked his 10th trip to San Giovanni Rotondo.
He said he and his family had continued to visit the site to give thanks to God and honour Padre Pio.
Akpabio recalled that his wife required several months to recover her memory after she was discharged from hospital.
“When my wife was finally discharged from the hospital, she waited for three months before she could remember my name and those of the children,” he said.
“We are here today to give thanks to God and to thank Pio for always interceding for us.”
The Senate President further disclosed that the family named one of their sons Pio as a baptismal name in honour of the saint.
He said the family had also established the Pio Football Academy to support disadvantaged children.
“We honoured Pio by giving our son the baptismal name Pio. We equally established a big academy which we called Pio Football Academy, where we train and offer scholarships to children of the poor from nine years up to university level, all in memory of Pio,” Akpabio said.
He concluded by praying for the repose of Padre Pio’s soul.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
