The battle to remove Umaru Yar’adua from office through the application of “Section 144” of the Nigerian constitution has entered into an advanced stage, but the clique around Turai Yar’adua is still mobilizing to put up some fight. Our sources revealed that Turai still counts on the loyalty of key members of her sick husband’s kitchen cabinet. These insiders are reportedly buoyed by indications that their campaign to label Jonathan as anti-North has found some sympathy across the northern part of Nigeria.


The Yar’adua team is banking on the emergence of a sharp rift within the Federal Executive Council, the body of federal ministers expected to declare Yar’adua incapacitated as early as Wednesday. “There are indications that some cabinet members have adopted positions along regional lines,” said a source within the cabinet. He added: “Some honorable ministers have bought the ‘anti-north campaigns’ mounted against Jonathan.”

Another source in Abuja told Saharareporters that the Turai group is working behind the scenes to take away as many votes as possible in order to rob the executive council of the needed votes to carry out its declaration of Yar’adua’s incapacitation. Turai Yar’adua has continued to reach out to influential northerners to rev up the campaign against Jonathan. “She hopes to be able to draw out the battle as long as possible,” said a person knowledgeable about her latest ploys.

Another source told Saharareporters that Turai and the remainder of Yar’adua’s kitchen cabinet members are bent on playing up ethnic and religious sentiments in a bid to prolong their losing struggle to hold on to power. “The Turai team has used the name of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Edwin Clarke to sow discord and spread fear in the north,” said one of our sources. “It’s ironic that Turai, whose husband came to power because of Chief Obasanjo’s imposition, is now using their benefactor’s name as a way to frighten northerners about a Jonathan presidency,” added the source.

Last night, Turai leaked Yar’adua’s “doctored” medical records to a select number of ministers. The records were dated February 19, 2010 and written as well as signed by Dr. Salisu Barau Banye, Yar’adua’s personal physician. The documents revealed that Yar’adua had chest infections that led to his isolation in a Saudi Hospital – as earlier reported by Saharareporters.

Even so, a source told us that Turai and her inner circle tailored the medical report to create the misleading impression that Yar’adua’s loss of voice is a temporary problem and that the bed-ridden “President” remains conscious and able to resume office. The same source disclosed that Yar’adua has virtually lost the ability to speak as earlier reported by Saharareporters.

Another potential roadblock for Jonathan is the uncertainty of the military’s loyalty to his command. Several sources told Saharareporters that, contrary to the impression that certain military officers have indicated their acceptance of Jonathan’s leadership, Lt Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau, the army general who executed last week’s unauthorized movement of troops, continues to play games with Jonathan. Saharareporters learnt that all attempts to get Dambazau to redeploy Yar’adua’s ADC, Colonel Mustapha Onoyota, were futile. “As far as his relationship with Dr. Jonathan is concerned, you could say that General Dambazau is insubordinate,” said one source, adding that the general’s deployment of troops the night Yar’adua was flown into Nigeria under the cover of darkness “was a mini-coup.”

On Monday, Yar’adua’s ADC as well as the commander of the Brigade of Guards also refused to accept a new set of soldiers deployed to duty at Yar’adua’s residence where he lay in a ravaged shape, unable to speak.

Jonathan is also being hampered by his personal weakness, a diplomatic source suggested. This view was corroborated by some Presidency sources. They said the measure of success achieved by Turai was made possible by Jonathan’s lackluster style and his reluctance to seize the occasion. “So far, he appears unable to implement any of the changes recommended by his advisers and well-meaning Nigerians as a way to make a difference,” said a source who has advised him informally. His only remarkable act since the National Assembly made him “acting President” was the removal of controversial attorney general of the federation Michael Aondoakaa.

In a move calculated to dispel growing grumblings about his inaction, Jonathan today in Abuja created three committees, the largest being a “Presidential Advisory Committee” led by oil-boom billionaire, Theophilus Y. Danjuma. The committee, made up of some big-name former public officials, is seen as an attempt to cut down the wild campaigns against Jonathan especially in the northern parts. Among the committee’s prominent northerners is former IG of police, MD Yusuf, a close relative of Yar’adua.

But Jonathan’s coziness with Danjuma is already generating some heat within the acting president’s circles and beyond. Saharareporters learnt that Danjuma has proposed that Jonathan bring back the office of Chief of Staff to the Presidency and appoint MB Marwa, the controversial Nigerian ambassador to South Africa, to the position. Marwa served as a money-laundering partner to the late General Sani Abacha. Marwa’s associates are currently being tried in Jersey for their involvement in money-laundering deals.

Jonathan is expected to officially inaugurate the three committees on Thursday.

Our sources also revealed that Jonathan is expected to bare his teeth by firing several ministers on Wednesday and announcing their replacements.

neily:

When will tribalism become a history in Nigeria? Make una give the power toTurai so dat everybody go rest.

riversman:

SAHARA gat some kinda false reports sha, geez!!!! they always say "our sources", none of thier sources get balls, bTW - this is word on the street in abuja, it aint no secret nor was it in any forged doc,

They said Yar Adua can move but he is still kinda weak, Sahara just dey find site traffic, HISS

desgiezd:

The Turai clique gets active anytime we are approaching a Wednesday so that the FEC meeting that holds every Wednesday would not be able to take any serious decision again Umaru. Last week, it was a thief-like sneaking into the country at very odd hours and this week, leakage of doctor's report. A report that we have not had the opportunity of getting for more than ninety days.