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As Nigeria prepares for the conduct of general elections to usher in fresh sets of political office holders across the country, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has visited the Prayer Ground of St. Padre PIO, at St Giovanni Rotondo in Italy, to offer prayers to God for a peaceful 2027 elections and an end to banditry and terrorism in Nigeria.

Answering questions from St Padre PIO TV/ Radio in Italy, Akpabio said, ” 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.

” 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 described the ground as a holy one, noting that ” I am very impressed that the place has been well kept. This is a Holy ground. Some people who are here might not even understand the significance of this ground but those of us who are adherents and followers of PIO, believe in his intercessions.”

To further buttress his belief in the efficacy of the name; PIO, Akpabio went down memory lane on how St PIO intereceded for the miraculous healing of his wife, Mrs Unoma Akpabio, after she was 98 percent dead.

According to him, ” My wife was in a comma for six months in a hospital in Germany. She was 98 percent dead. I used the picture of PIO to make a sign of the cross on her, instead of putting-off the life- support machine she was on. She had an operation that went wrong. I cried to Mother Mary; the mother of Jesus Christ and called on PIO to interceed.

” Miraculously, she woke up. That hospital, uptill today, is yet to understand what happened. As someone who has experienced the powers in where I am standing, I can understand it more than anyone else”, he noted.

He stated further that,” this is my 10th time here. 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. We are here today, to give thanks to God and to thank PIO for always interceeding for us.

“We honored 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 9 years up to university level, all in memory of PIO. May his soul rest in perfect peace”.

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*****Stakeholders, CSOs Call For Sack Of NAICOM Commissioner

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has widened its probe into the controversial insurance industry recapitalisation exercise, with invitation letters now being issued to other operators beyond the initial petitioners.

A letter dated 3rd September 2026 and addressed to the Managing Director of Linkage Assurance Plc, Mr Daniel Braie, at the company’s Abuja office, 29 Aswan Street, Wuse Zone 3, confirms the expansion.

Titled “Investigation activities letter of invitation – Re: capitalisation exercise in the insurance sector,” the correspondence from the EFCC’s Capital Market and Insurance Fraud Section requires Braie to report for an interview on Thursday, 24th September 2026.

The development comes amid growing pressure on Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), to step aside.

Industry stakeholders and civil society organisations have intensified calls for his immediate suspension or sack, arguing that his continued presence in office while the investigation deepens compromises the integrity of the process.

“The EFCC’s decision to invite other industry players shows this is no longer limited to one or two companies,” a senior insurance executive who preferred anonymity said.

“When the anti-graft agency starts calling in Managing Directors across the sector for clarification on the same capitalisation exercise, it means the net is widening.

“The man at the helm of NAICOM cannot continue to sit pretty as if nothing is happening.”

Another stakeholder, a former senior official in the industry, stated: “The allegations of unlawful one per cent capital injection fees, forced full-capital escrow demands contrary to the law, and questionable consultant payments are serious.

“Expanding the investigation to other operators only strengthens the case for Omosehin to step aside immediately so that the probe can proceed without any perception of interference.”

Civil society groups have been more direct, demanding Omosehin’s removal to sanitise the regulatory agency.

“Keeping the NAICOM Commissioner in office while the EFCC expands its investigation into the recapitalisation exercise is unacceptable,” Salisu Mohammed of the Coalition for Good Governance in Nigeria said.

“We call for his immediate suspension by the Minister of Finance. The regulatory house must be cleaned for public confidence to return.”

Another CSO activist added: “This is about accountability. The moment the EFCC begins inviting Managing Directors of other insurance companies for interviews on the capitalisation process, the Commissioner who superintended that process should no longer remain in charge.

%Suspension is the minimum requirement to sanitise NAICOM and protect the integrity of the investigation.”

As the September 24 interview date approaches, pressure continues to mount on the Presidency and the Ministry of Finance to act decisively.

Stakeholders insist that only the temporary removal of Omosehin will allow a thorough, credible investigation capable of restoring trust in the insurance regulatory framework.

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Senate President Godswill Akpabio has recounted the harrowing experience of watching his wife, Unoma, spend six months in a coma in a German hospital, saying he was convinced that only divine intervention could save her life.

Akpabio disclosed the experience during a visit to the Prayer Ground of St Padre Pio in St Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, where he said he had gone to give thanks for his wife’s recovery and pray for his family, Nigeria and the 2027 general elections.

According to a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, Akpabio said his wife was placed on life support after a medical procedure reportedly went wrong, leaving her in a critical condition.

“My wife was in a coma for six months in a hospital in Germany. She was 98 per cent dead,” Akpabio said.

The Senate President said doctors had little hope that she would recover as she remained on life support.

He recalled turning to prayer, seeking the intercession of the Virgin Mary and St Padre Pio while refusing to give up hope.

According to him, he used a picture of Padre Pio to make the sign of the cross over his wife while she remained on life support.

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

Akpabio said the experience deepened his faith in the intercession of Padre Pio, explaining that his visit to the prayer ground was also a thanksgiving for what he described as his wife’s remarkable recovery.

“This is my 10th time here. 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.

Beyond his family’s experience, Akpabio used the visit to pray for Nigeria, particularly for an end to banditry, terrorism and other forms of insecurity affecting the country.

“We came to offer prayers and get blessings from God for ourselves, our families, and our dear country that is currently being ravaged by banditry and terrorism,” he said.

Describing the prayer ground as “Holy ground,” the Senate President said those who follow Padre Pio believe in his intercession.

He also disclosed that his family named one of their sons Pio in honour of the saint and established the Pio Football Academy, which he said provided training and scholarships to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Akpabio’s visit comes amid heightened political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, even as insecurity remained one of the major concerns confronting the country.

The Senate President said his prayers at the site were focused on his family, Nigeria and the forthcoming elections.