Jonathan and Wife at Church Service, Seek Forgiveness

 President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife after the church service

•  First Lady narrates how she almost died from a new ailment during the campaigns
•  Confesses she never dreamt of being a president’s wife

 With barely 12 days to step down as Nigeria’s president, President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday pleaded for forgiveness from those he might have offended while carrying out his duties as the country's number one citizen.

He equally described as complicated, his transition from being a vice-president to being the president.

This is just as his wife, Patience, said having done creditably well, they would be returning home with their heads high.

She equally noted that God had lifted her high because she never dreamt of becoming a first lady as her husband at the initial stage was not a politician.
The first lady, who is having her second public appearance since her husband lost the presidential election, also said that she was miraculously healed of an ailment after the poll.

Jonathan and his wife spoke during a thanksgiving service marking their last worship service at the Aso Villa Chapel.

Meanwhile, Vice-President-elect, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who was invited to the church service, was conspicuously absent but sent a representative.

Chaplain of the chapel, Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba, later explained that Osinbajo's absence was due to one reason or the other.

While speaking to the congregation, Jonathan said: "Let me express our appreciation to all those who have stood with us . We came in as vice-president and the wife, today we are leaving as the former president and former first lady. Whatever we were able to achieve was through you. Let me specifically thank the Chaplain, the clergymen, the pastors and their wives.

"For the past eight years, we have every reason to be thankful to God. Every individual has his/her own calling. I also believe that people who take over political leadership have their own callings to do specific things.

"No one, head of a government, be it at the national level or the sub-regional levels can do everything. But when you leave, you will want to do something to show that yes, I was here. I remember when I was deputy governor of Bayelsa State, when I took over as governor, something that came to my mind. I wanted to build bridges, since Bayelsa was more riverine than Rivers State and I decided that I was going to build two major bridges yearly.

“Everybody has something to leave behind. The chaplain has said that nothing is perfect, if you wait for perfection, you cannot achieve anything."

The president acknowledged that no system is perfect, adding that every human system must have an element of imperfection.

He described the eight years he had been at the Villa as a series of blockades because his transition from vice-president to president was gradual and complicated.

"It was intertwined so you cannot actually draw the line. Because when the president was challenged with major health issues, I was running the country for sometime, even before the doctrine of necessity made me an acting president. Then I took over at first and conducting the 2011 election, I won and I had to run my full four years as an elected president.

"So for the eight years that one has been there, definitely one is not perfect. We have done certain things that probably we shouldn't have done that way, but we didn't do those things deliberately (to hurt others).

"So for those whom we have offended it was not deliberate, it was circumstances of the office. So we also plead that those people should forgive, we think we have done our best," he said.

According to him, "You can do your best and your friends may misunderstand you. Today we are talking about leaving. It is only God that knows why things go the way they do.

"Ordinarily, May 24 would have been the last service here. But that May 24, we will all go to the National Christian Centre for the inauguration service. So for me and my wife, this is our last day of worship here. The congregation will continue because until new government takes over.

"Though we are leaving as president and first lady, but we have not left you, because we are still in this country, we will continue to interact one way or the other, probably along the line we may even come closer. I believe some of you may even come closer, and even do more meaningful things together when we leave office.

"The office is quite challenging, some of you may desire to see us, I believe as we move forward, things will get better. I don't really believe that it is only in government that you can do things, even outside government you can also do a lot of things.

"The richest people in the world don't even serve in government. Dangote has never been in government.  So you don't need to be in government to be rich. Bill Gates has not been in government. So outside government a lot of things happen, it is for us to be committed and continue to be focused. Me and my wife really love all of you."

On her part, 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 prophesied 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 the 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.

"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 deputy govovernor, to governor, to vice-president, and then president. You know this position is not a life thing.

"There is no permanent thing, so I want you to take it in good fate; that it is the will of God and you should be praising God. God is really wonderful. That is for the political side.

"To my own real life, I thank God for keeping me alive today. God is so wonderful. Just two years ago, I went through one operation after the other. Within one month, I passed through 12 operations."

According to her, "To some people, they said she is dead. But God resurrected me. God told me my daughter, go back. I will give you second chance, go and finish your work.

"And today if my husband lost this election I believe God has made me finish the work.

"Thank God today we are parting with life and not with death. Our doors are open.

"That campaign time was a trial for me. Satan came in again and those who know the former president and his wife, her corpse was carried out of this place.  We thank God that I and my husband are going alive.

"During the campaign period, devil struck again. In pains I was rushed to the hospital in January and the doctors told me, mama you have to go for major big operation now now!

"I was worried and asked: what is it again? The campaign was still going on and I wondered how we were going to explain to Nigerians. You know even when you go for check-up, they will be writing on papers saying all sorts of things. I said I and my family have to hand over.

"My husband will continue with his campaign until the last day. That was how I went in for the first major operation towards the end of January. And by God's grace I came out and it was from that operation that I went to the campaign ground. And they told me mama, there is another bigger operation that you have to go in for. This one would not be in this hospital. It (the hospital) is too small for this type of operation. You have to go to a bigger hospital and I said I will go, I have faith in God. And that my God will see me through."

She added: "He has brought me out for a purpose. I called my pastor to continue praying for me. They want me to be a sacrifice, but I will never be. Then, do you know I went to the bigger hospital. I booked for the operation and I was asked to go for the campaign.

"They gave me a new date. I had paid for everything, it just remained for me to go to the theatre and the thing occurred at the hospital. 'Let's check her again'. By then, my husband had lost the election. I had packed out of the Villa, we were about going. Behold! I went to four hospitals again and the thing had vanished. My doctors were surprised. They didn't think that could happen. I told my people doctors say we could go."