Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has recounted how his wife, Unoma, recovered after spending six months in a coma following complications from an operation at a hospital in Germany.

Akpabio shared the experience during an interview with St Padre Pio TV/Radio while visiting the Prayer Ground of St Padre Pio in St Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.

According to a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, on Saturday night, Akpabio visited the site to pray for Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Senate President said his wife was placed on life support after the operation went wrong and that doctors had considered her condition critical.

He said he sought the intercession of St Padre Pio and prayed to Mother Mary during the period, after which his wife eventually regained consciousness.

Akpabio said the experience strengthened his belief in the intercession of Padre Pio, adding that the hospital had been unable to explain her recovery.

He also said his wife required several months after leaving the hospital before she could remember his name and those of their children.

Akpabio, who said the visit was his 10th to the prayer ground, disclosed that he returned to the site to give thanks for his wife’s recovery.

The Senate President said he and other Nigerians at the prayer ground also prayed for peace and an end to banditry and terrorism in the country.

He described the location as a holy ground and said adherents of Padre Pio believed in his intercession.

Akpabio further disclosed that his family named one of their sons Pio in honour of the saint and established the Pio Football Academy, which provides training and scholarships for children from disadvantaged backgrounds from age nine through university.

His visit comes ahead of the 2027 general elections, with political parties expected to intensify preparations for the polls. Akpabio said his prayers were for Nigeria, his family and the forthcoming elections.