ABUJA, Nigeria — Solomon Dalung, a former minister of youth and sports, urged people experiencing rejection and heartbreak not to regard a failed relationship as the end of their prospects for happiness.
In remarks shared on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, Dalung drew his message from gospel singer Nathaniel Bassey’s account of meeting his wife, Sarah Bassey, after an earlier relationship had left him discouraged about marriage.
Dalung said the significance of the story extended beyond the couple’s romance.
For him, it illustrated how people could recover from disappointment without forcing another relationship or allowing an earlier rejection to determine their future.
A Meeting After an Earlier Heartbreak
According to Nathaniel Bassey’s account, a relationship ended painfully in 2008 and left him reluctant to consider marriage again.
He later met Sarah during a ministry assignment in Eket, where she was serving on the protocol team. His previous experience made him hesitant to pursue her immediately, Dalung said.
Bassey eventually approached her pastor after he continued thinking about her. Sarah had independently formed an impression about him before he expressed an interest, according to the couple’s account.
Dalung noted that the two had not held a romantic conversation or exchanged telephone numbers before those separate impressions developed.
He said people recovering from heartbreak sometimes withdraw from future relationships, attempt to force an unwanted connection, or continue pursuing someone who has chosen to leave.
“The person who walks away from you may not be the person who was meant to stay,” Dalung said.
He encouraged those facing rejection to allow themselves time to recover rather than remain in a relationship solely because they fear uncertainty or loneliness.
Dalung Urges Discernment
Dalung also cautioned against interpreting every attraction, coincidence, or strong emotion as evidence of divine direction.
“Not every strong feeling is a revelation,” he said.
He acknowledged that the supernatural elements described in the Basseys’ story could not be independently established and remained part of the couple’s personal experience.
His broader message, Dalung said, was that rejection by one person should not be understood as rejection by life itself.
A painful experience could become part of a person’s preparation for a different future, he added.
Dalung urged people dealing with the loss of a relationship to heal before making further decisions and not to allow an earlier disappointment to govern the next stage of their lives.
