Akpabio seeks divine intervention against terrorism, banditry ahead of 2027 elections

President of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has visited the Prayer Ground of St. Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, where he offered prayers for peace, an end to terrorism and banditry, and peaceful conduct of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

Akpabio, who spoke to St. Padre Pio TV/Radio during the visit, said he and members of his entourage travelled to the Catholic pilgrimage site 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.

The Senate President said the delegation was leaving the prayer ground fulfilled after presenting their intentions and seeking divine intervention.

“We are here on this prayer ground and we are going home fulfilled, that we were able to touch this Holy ground, drop our intentions which he will take to God on our behalf,” Akpabio added.

He described the site as sacred and praised its maintenance, saying devotees of St. Padre Pio attach significant spiritual importance to the location and believe in his intercession.

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Akpabio also recounted what he described as a miraculous recovery by his wife, Mrs Unoma Akpabio, after she reportedly spent six months in a coma at a hospital in Germany.

According to him, his wife had undergone an operation that went wrong and was placed on life support after doctors considered her condition extremely critical.

“My wife was in a comma for six months in a hospital in Germany. She was 98 percent dead,” he said.

Akpabio said he prayed to the Virgin Mary and invoked St. Padre Pio’s intercession while using an image of the saint to make the sign of the cross over his wife.

“Miraculously, she woke up. That hospital, up till today, is yet to understand what happened,” he said.

The Senate President said the experience strengthened his faith in St. Padre Pio’s intercession and was one of the reasons he has repeatedly returned to the pilgrimage site.

“This is my 10th time here,” he said, adding that his wife took another three months after her discharge before she could fully remember his name and those of their children.

Akpabio said the latest visit was also intended as an expression of gratitude to God and St. Padre Pio.

He disclosed that the family had honoured the saint by giving one of their sons the baptismal name “Pio” and establishing a Pio Football Academy.

According to him, the academy provides football training and scholarships to children from disadvantaged backgrounds, beginning from age nine through university level.

The Senate President’s visit comes as political parties and prospective candidates prepare for the 2027 general elections, with security expected to remain a major issue in the electoral process.

Akpabio’s prayers focused on an end to the insecurity confronting parts of the country and the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming elections.