12 days without Mr President
Posted To The Web: Sunday, December 06, 2009 - WILLY EYA



President Umaru Yar’Adua



It is exactly twelve days since President Umaru Yar’Adua’s medical trip abroad and a cloud of uncertainty has engulfed the nation with more people getting apprehensive over the fate of Nigeria as a corporate entity.

The development is coming on the heels of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting last Wednesday with Vice President Goodluck Jonathan presiding amidst growing calls for Yar'Adua to resign from office on account of his failing health.
Our source, a PDP chieftain and former minister, on condition of anonymity, expressed fear that if the continued absence of the president is not handled with care, it may eventually lead to the disintegration of Nigeria as a corporate entity.

According to them, the nation is literally lying prostrate as a result of the lingering health crisis bedeviling Yar’Adua since the inauguration of his administration in 2007.
Sunday Sun learnt that major stakeholders in his party, the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), are apprehensive and confused on how to handle the fragile situation.
The Federal Executive Council stated unequivocally last Wednesday that it does not intend to do any thing to facilitate the removal of the ailing president.

The FEC had briefed the media after the meeting, hitting back at critics and opposition politicians by declaring their support for the President.
Sunday Sun investigation revealed that sentiment has already crept into the unfolding situation with various ethnic regions pitched against one another in the confusion surrounding the health condition of the former Katsina State governor.
President Yar’Adua is currently in Saudi Arabia where he is being treated for acute pericarditis, an inflammation of the membrane covering the heart.

But sources who spoke to Sunday Sun on condition of anonymity were emphatic that the lingering health crisis has polarised power brokers in major ethnic regions in Nigeria including the North, South West, South East and South South.


The sources were unanimous that stakeholders in the North are particularly upset with the immediate past president, Olusegun Obasanjo for literally imposing Yar’Adua on Nigerians even when it was obvious that his health condition was suspect before his nomination.


According to them, Obasanjo did it on purpose to spite the North believed to have played a key role in scuttling his third term ambition.
Their assumption is that the former president knew that Yar’Adua’s health status would not allow him to handle the enormity of work required to lead a volatile nation like Nigeria.

It was also revealed that the thinking in the North is that the game plan of Obasanjo was, among others, to field a weak leader who would fail so that Nigerians would perceive him (Obasanjo) as a hero for his pockets of achievements.
Sunday Sun learnt that power brokers of the northern extraction are presently confused on how to handle the precarious situation knowing the implications of any thing untoward happening to the president.

According to sources, the northerners who have dominated the nation’s power equation since the nation’s independence feel threatened that power is about to slip through their hands again.
“Obasanjo is evil and does not wish Nigeria well. Every thing he does is based on selfish interests. He selfishly imposed Yar’Adua on Nigeria to frustrate the North,” he said asking, “Are you telling me that there are no more competent people than Yar’Adua in the North”.
A source added, “ It is unfortunate that after the North brought him out from prison and made him president, this is the way he is paying them back.

“The constitution is clear that in the event of death or incapacitation of the president on the grounds of health, his vice automatically takes over”.
For the South West, sources also revealed that power brokers in the zone may have sympathy for Yar’Adua but on the other hand are happy with the development for several reasons.
Sunday Sun learnt that politicians of Yoruba extraction perceive the feeling in the North that Obasanjo imposed Yar’Adua on the nation as nemesis at work as the former president was also forced down the throat of the South West who obviously routed for Chief Olu Falae, the joint presidential candidate for the All Peoples Party (APP) and Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 1999.
According to sources, the subtle cry in the North that Yar’Adua in the 2007 presidential race was not a popular choice or the best they could offer is simply good riddance to bad rubbish for all that the Yorubas care.

According to a source, “It serves the North right. When they imposed Obasanjo on the Yorubas, they never thought that the same person who they used against the Yorubas would also choose a northerner that will not be their choice”.
Sunday Sun also learnt that the South East sees the lingering health crisis of Yar’Adua as a threat to the ambition of the zone to produce a president of Igbo extraction after eight years of power in the North.


The calculation among power brokers in the zone is that in the event that Vice President Goodluck Jonathan takes over the ship of state from the former Katsina State governor till the next general election in 2011, a northern president may likely emerge and could be tempted to stay for eight years on grounds that Yar’Adua’s tenure was botched.
Sources were unanimous that Ndigbo are afraid that such a development could further postpone their long awaited dream to occupy the nation’s presidential seat.

“You know Nigeria and how things work here. If any thing happens, Goodluck Jonathan would come in briefly until 2011 when a northerner would take over. As a Nigerian, he would like to stay for eight years. What it means is that Ndigbo would have to wait a long time”.
According to sources, the South South zone is not free from the ethnic sentiment that has enveloped the nation since Yar’Adua traveled abroad on Monday, November 23 for a medical check up.


Sunday Sun learnt that though power brokers of the ethnic region are not happy that the president is sick, they are however patiently waiting that if the development gets out of hand, Goodluck Jonathan, one of their own would succeed Yar’Adua.
Sources revealed that the zone does not want to be taken unawares and is banking on the constitutional provision that a Vice President takes over in case of death or incapacitation of the president that it had no plan to take action against ailing Yar'Adua.

Under the Nigerian constitution, the FEC, which consists mainly of appointees of the president, is empowered to send a request to Senate to appoint a medical committee to ascertain the fitness of the president in case he is ill and incapable of performing his constitutional duties.
Since a group of 55 notable Nigerians signed a document calling on Yar'Adua to resign, members of the FEC and security agencies have reportedly been harassing some of the signatories to the petition.

http://news.onlinenigeria.com/templates/?a=11354&z=4

Egbegbe!; What goes around comes around.

Aloy~Emeka:

Egbegbe!; What goes around comes around.

Indeed !!! The North chose OBJ despite the fact that he was vehemently rejected by his own SW region. They simply installed an individual they knew could be trusted to keep it business as usual. Afterall , and historically , has OBJ not always shown his turncoat readiness to work for the North against the rest of Nigeria ? Did OBJ not produce Shagari when it should have been Awolowo? Certainly the North thought they could trust OBJ to work for their interest.

Now he has left them with Yar Adua. It seems they will probably have to concede power to Jonathan . They should just accept their lot , learn their lesson and field a competent candidate in 2010 . All this would not be happening if a few idiots did not feel they must impose their candidate on an entire nation of 150 million individuals. I don't support zoning of the Presidency but Nigeria may not be ready for anything else. Assuming that the the Presidency must be zoned why not choose , through a transparent procees that involves Nigerians, the best candidate , physically and mentally, for the number one job from the region the Presidency has been zoned to ?

Llet the lootings continue. Nigeria is not a failed state. Good people, Great Nation.

Gbawe:

Indeed !!! The North chose OBJ despite the fact that he was vehemently rejected by his own SW region. They simply installed an individual they knew could be trusted to keep it business as usual. Afterall , and historically , has OBJ not always shown his turncoat readiness to work for the North against the rest of Nigeria ? Did OBJ not produce Shagari when it should have been Awolowo? Certainly the North thought they could trust OBJ to work for their interest.

Now he has left them with Yar Adua. It seems they will probably have to concede power to Jonathan . They should just accept their lot , learn their lesson and field a competent candidate in 2010 . All this would not be happening if a few idiots did not feel they must impose their candidate on an entire nation of 150 million individuals. I don't support zoning of the Presidency but Nigeria may not be ready for anything else. Assuming that the  the Presidency must be zoned why not choose , through a transparent procees that involves Nigerians, the best candidate , physically and mentally, for the number one job from the region the Presidency has been zoned to ?

Cunny man die cunny man buryam. I am sure this is the lord's making like the death of Abacha. You forced Obasanjo down the throat of Southerners, God struck Yaradua with acute malaria.

Why do the North keep threatening break-up over this Yar'Adull issue?

That is a threat that the South will very happily oblige to. Infact, it will be met with great celebration.

I think so too. May be this is the lords making and Nigeria can finally break up in peace although Jonathan may sacrifice his blood for it.

Kai, the way we think in Nigeria baffles me, how could they now start making noise/
When he was imposing the sick baby on them, how come no one make noise, how come the Northerners were happy then?

Its not the north persay but the northerners in the CURRENT govt administration and those surrounding it. Obj isnt relevant in the current pdp dominated administration. Also northerners such as Atiku, Buhari, el ruffai, ribadu are not happy about the current condition of Nigeria and those governing it. So i would say its the CURRENT northern PDP agenda, not northerners.

I think Obj is also one of those behind Ribadu for 2011 presidency along with Fashola as Vp. Thats the only way to break the current administration.
Obj is very smart and will do whatever is needed to keep Nigeria as one.

I am sure our steps are ordered by the lord; Only if Arewa gets mad and break away I will be made whole and I promise you no single shot will be fired to resist them. As a matter of fact, there will be a big ofala in igboland over that.

sjeezy8:

Its not the north persay but the northerners in the CURRENT govt administration and those surrounding it. Obj isnt relevant in the current pdp dominated administration. Also northerners such as Atiku, Buhari, el ruffai, ribadu are not happy about the current condition of Nigeria and those governing it. So i would say its the CURRENT northern PDP agenda, not northerners.

I think Obj is also one of those behind Ribadu for 2011 presidency along with Fashola as Vp. Thats the only way to break the current administration.
Obj is very smart and will do whatever is needed to keep Nigeria as one.

now doubt about it, cos he wanna protect his money that was stolen, but nemesis will catch up with him and soon too

Fhemmmy:

now doubt about it, cos he wanna protect his money that was stolen, but nemesis will catch up with him and soon too

Of course -but people should just let Obasanjo go, if they want to keep Nigeria one! Look at the Bushes, Nixon, Cheney etc in America, Obama cannot spend time trying to bring charges against them. Every society has corruption atleast with Obj adminstration there was development and US relations were better.

Nigerians should learn to settle for the best instead of dreaming unrealistically.

and with Obj,Atiku,Buhari, behind ribadu or a northern candidate for pres coming 2011, Northern Nigerian WILL NOT SECEDE.

I have no problem against the dude, but how dare he still wanna dictate what happens in Nigeria with all the money he has stolen, so for them to let him go, he needs to make himself go.
i really dont care who rule Nigeria as long as the choice is made for good reason

sjeezy8:

Of course -but people should just let Obasanjo go, if they want to keep Nigeria one! Look at the Bushes, Nixon, Cheney etc in America, Obama cannot spend time trying to bring charges against them. Every society has corruption atleast with Obj adminstration there was development and US relations were better.

Nigerians should learn to settle for the best instead of dreaming unrealistically.

and with Obj,Atiku,Buhari, behind ribadu or a northern candidate for pres coming 2011, Northern Nigerian WILL NOT SECEDE.

Bushes, Nixon and Cheney did not embezzle money from the US coffers and they did not exterminate a village in America. Obasanjo's action in Odi will always haunt him and his generation.

Aloy~Emeka:

Bushes, Nixon and Cheney did not embezzle money from the US coffers and they did not exterminate a village in America. Obasanjo's action in Odi will always haunt him and his generation.

So who says Obasanjo embezzled money? the economy was great when he left, no matter what anyone says.

what about the Bushes response to Hurricane katrina?
their corruption allegations in voting and halliburton other oil contracts?
what about Bush administration and its allegations of crimes against humanity all over the world?

its all apart of politics and sacrifice is needed.

Economy being great doesn't mean he didn't embezzle money.

It really annoys me when I read all these conspiracy theories about North. These guys just sit down behind their desk and come up with conjectures of their fantasy and claim them to be news. How can what these newspapers publish be considered a credible news in the world of sane people? Who is the North? Who make decision in the North? Who is their source? Why are they afraid of telling us their sources. Isn't this suppose to be news? Anybody that gives interview on such an important topic, and decline his name to be published, then the news is not worthy to be publish. People should own up to the responsibility of what they say.

Tsiya:

It really annoys me when I read all these conspiracy theories about North. These guys just sit down behind their desk and come up with conjectures of their fantasy and claim them to be news. How can what these newspapers publish be considered a credible news in the world of sane people? Who is the North? Who make decision in the North? Who is their source? Why are they afraid of telling us their sources. Isn't this suppose to be news? Anybody that gives interview on such an important topic, and decline his name to be published, then the news is not worthy to be publish. People should own up to the responsibility of what they say.

You have a point tho but journalists are not obligated to reveal their sources.