ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan chose the farewell service organised by the Aso Rock Villa Chaplain in Abuja to again shock Nigerians, when she disclosed that she disappeared from public glare at the end of January during the re-election campaigns of her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan, to go for her 13th surgery a result of another round of health challenges.
Mrs. Jonathan said a sharp pain on her side and an examination by the doctors revealed she needed an urgent surgery, adding that with the help and understanding of her family, her condition was kept under wraps while she left the country and went to Germany to undergo one major surgical operation.
She said she returned from the surgery and went into the re-election campaign of her husband.
Mrs. Jonathan, who is the immediate past President of the African First Ladies Mission, said she was billed for yet another surgery after her husband lost elections, but last minute tests in four different hospitals in Germany revealed she no longer needed surgery, attributing the news to God miraculously healing her.
The First Lady, who begun her testimony by rendering a special song “I will give God my whole life”, went down memory lane how two years earlier she had undergone 12 surgeries and was at a point of death but God miraculously brought her back to life. She said she never dreamt that she would one day become the First Lady of Nigeria as her husband was never a politician, giving credit to Dipreye Alamieyesigha for bringing her husband into politics as deputy governor of Bayelsa State.
Mrs. Jonathan said other people might feel pained that they are exiting from the Villa but for her family they were full of gratitude to God for sparing their lives and helping them to leave the Villa in good health.
Thanking God for her husband’s political journey, Mrs. Jonathan said, “I really thank God for keeping me alive. He is a miraculous God. God is so wonderful in my life because people professed that one of us will not go back. But God has made it possible, two of us are going healthy. I never thought in my life that I will be First Lady. I never dreamt of being wife of a deputy governor because my husband was not a politician. But God made it possible and God lifted us up from deputy governor and here we are.
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“We should be grateful to God for what he has done. To me and my family, we praise God. To our followers, today it might not be too good but I want them to be grateful to God because you have followed us for a long time from our days as deputy governor, to govenor, vice president, president. You know this position is not a life thing. There is no permanent thing so I want you to take it in good faith that it is the will of God and you should be praising God. God is really wonderful.”
On the health crisis that reoccured during her husband’s re-election campaign, she said, “To my own real life, I thank God for keeping me alive today. God is so wonderful. Just two years ago, I went through operations upon operations. Within one month, I passed through 12 operations. To some people they said she is dead but God resurrected me. God told me my daughter go back I will give you a second chance, go and finish your work. And today even if my husband lost this election I believe God has made me finish the work.
“At the same time this year, while my husband was campaigning, that period was a trying time for me. Satan came in again and those that know the former president and his wife, her corpse was carried out of this place. We thank God that I and my husband are leaving the Villa alive. Thank God today we are parting with life and not with death. Our doors are open.
The First Lady said she was grateful to God that her family was leaving the State House with their heads held up high, saying many of those who have come to visit hoping to see her downcast have marveled that she has remained upbeat and radiant.
According to her, “We are going home with our heads up, and we are hale and hearty. People come to see me hoping to see me sad but they see me happy and they say to me Mama, you are looking radiant. We give glory to God”, she concluded amidst thunderous applause and shouts of praise from the shocked congregation.
