On Wednesday, November 6, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo reflected on the profound loss of his wife, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, who passed away just months before her 60th birthday. Mrs. Obasanjo died on October 23, 2005, at a private clinic in Puerto Banús, Marbella, Spain.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the newly rebuilt and expanded 250-bed Stella Obasanjo Hospital, undertaken by the Edo State Government, President Obasanjo described the impact of his late wife, whom he regarded as a steadfast pillar of support and a major contributor to his administration’s achievements.

Obasanjo expressed gratitude to the people of Edo State and to former Governor Lucky Igbinedion’s administration, which first honored his wife by naming the hospital after her in 2007. He described Mrs. Obasanjo as a devoted wife who truly deserved every honor she received, both in life and in death.

Recalling her efforts during his time in prison, Obasanjo shared how his wife had tirelessly campaigned for his freedom, traveling extensively to seek support for his release. “When I was in prison, that woman left no stone unturned. She went all over the world—Japan, all of Europe, the Vatican, Latin America, across Africa—seeking my release. God answered her prayers and the prayers of those supporting us, and I came out of prison alive.”

He reflected on the painful timing of her passing, just as they had begun preparing for her 60th birthday celebration. “We were planning for my wife’s 60th birthday anniversary. We never had that birthday before she died. It was very painful for me personally and for all of us in my family.”

President Obasanjo closed by expressing his deep appreciation to the people of Edo State for commemorating his wife in this lasting way. “I thank all the people of Edo State because I had a woman who made tremendous contributions to my achievements in government,” he said.