Former First Lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan, has stated that she would refuse any request to return to the presidential villa to serve as the First Lady again.
In a video clip that has gone viral, Jonathan spoke candidly at a public function on Friday, stating that the role is stressful.
“The stress of Nigeria is too much,” she said, stating that she looks younger since leaving office.
“If you call me now for villa, I wouldn’t go there. I won’t. Don’t you see how young I am? The stress is so much. The stress of Nigeria is so much. If God manages to bring you out of it, you should glorify Him. He has taken you there once, why do you want to go there again?”
Patience Jonathan added, “I won’t go o. I need peace and your love. I want to share love with you. May God bless us o.”
Patience Jonathan served as First Lady from 2010 to 2015, during her husband Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency.
Her tenure was marked by a number of memorable public moments, including the popularisation of several phrases in Nigerian pidgin English, such as “na only you waka come.”
In her recent public address, she also appealed for peace in Rivers State, urging the warring factions to allow the current administration to govern without interference.
This request was made during the 60th anniversary of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) international colloquium in Abuja on Thursday.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Public Relations, Value Reorientation, and Economic Transformation,’ the former First Lady called for an end to the ongoing crisis in Rivers State, which has been exacerbated by conflicts involving former Governor Nyesom Wike.
