First Lady Patience Jonathan, Back in Nigeria, Denies Hospitalization, Cosmetic Surgery

First Lady , Mrs. Patience Jonathan and her husband today in Abuja

By SaharaReporters, New York

The wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan who returned to Nigeria today after six weeks, has denied being hospitalized in Germany for a terminal ailment.

Mrs. Jonathan arrived aboard a presidential aircraft at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, at 3:45pm.

On her arrival she dismissed reports that she was flown to Germany for the treatment of a terminal ailment. However,  Mrs. Jonathan did not disclose her whereabouts in the last 6-8 weeks.   

In her words:

“Those that are saying that anybody that goes to (the presidential) villa, that person will die, they mention Abacha, they mention Stella Obasanjo…
They even wrote some numbers …I don’t even know that hospital they are talking about…I do not have any terminal illness or cosmetic surgery.”
Mrs. Jonathan did not say where she has been, or why she was away for so long.  Throughout her absence, the presidency avoided an official account, and media officials dodged questions concerning her.  

Mrs. Jonathan was welcomed back to Abuja today by some government officials, women’s groups and cultural dancers.

Her denial of her whereabouts in the past six weeks to the same Nigerians who paid the bills is certain to kick off a new debate about the lack of transparency in her husband’s government.