Hundreds of youths stormed the National Assembly yesterday in solidarity with ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua who has now been out of Nigeria for 75 days.

Led by Emeka Okoroji, the group went into prayer session for the quick recovery of the president and his return to continue governing the nation.

Okoroji, while addressing the youths, said that the precarious state of polity in Nigeria occasioned by the absence of the president must not be allowed to give way to chaos in line with the scheming of the enemies of democracy.

He commended the leadership of the National Assembly for allowing constitutional processes to guide their conduct in addressing the issues being raised by the absence of President Yar’Adua, reiterating confidence that the President would return to Nigeria before long.

The street protest to show solidarity with the ailing president by members of his group, he said was a sacrifice meant to ensure that governance was held together in the absence of the President and for the interest of democracy.
Okoroji stressed that the task of keeping Nigeria together had never been the exclusive preserve of anyone but that of the generality of Nigerians.

Addressing the rally, one Kolade Akinjo told the National Assembly members to always be no guard in defence of democracy as according to him, Nigeria would outlive the present political crisis and move on to the next phase of democracy amid congenial atmosphere.
“If Mr. President is indisposed and had to leave the country for treatment, the nation owes it a duty to view his case with utmost compassion and sympathy,” [/b]he said before praying for the president’s quick recovery.

See how an ordinary misplaced headline has made fools out of many of you.

duduspace:

So you remember "Vakama" as he was called those days in Great Ife? he is a political jobber and his actions shouldn't surprise anyone. The less of such "Youths" we have in Nigeria, the better. He even conned the so called spirit filled Christian community into voting him in as Student Union president then.

adigun101:

I don't see anything wrong with that !
His sin is that he did not [b]hand over to his vice[/b]
He hasn't commited any crime for being sick.

I personally can't agree more !
Like the rumoured coups, Aandoka and co.

A little bit of Blah-Blah-Blah but kini big deal !
Do you wish the guy to die there in saudi ?
Can someone tell me what is freaking wrong with this assertion as well !
I still dont see anything wrong with these statements!

Even me I support this one.
And pray for anyone who is ill to get well ASAP.

Sometimes some of you need to stop and read before condeming.
See how an ordinary misplaced headline has made fools out of many of you.
As far as im concerned this is entirely a valid demonstration !

Eastbay:

Bros, so you go Ife?
Bros we beg to differ.
Stop bringing unnecessary sentiments to this issue.if a president fails to handover power while going on a sick leave and people like you or the hired crowd can find reason to defend something as glaring as the emboldened,then this country has no future.
We know the antecedents of the organisers of the "protest".We can't be fooled any further.
How we descended into this Hobesian state is in part due to people like you who cannot see truth and defend it.For all we care,Yar Adua being sick is not the issue.The issue is the due process which the said Yar adua has been lip-servicing  from day one as president  is not being followed,to the ridiculous extent of
a)nigerians not knowing the whereabouts of their president
b)a leadership vacuum being created as a result of the said "medical treatment " which by the way has spiralled to close to 80 days.

Sick Nigeria President Yar'Adua 'to hand over power'

President Umaru Yar'Adua has both heart and kidney problems
Nigeria's ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua will write a letter handing power over to his vice-president, his adviser has told the BBC.

The letter, formally informing the Senate that Mr Yar'Adua is on "medical vacation", automatically means his deputy becomes acting president.

The president's allies have previously resisted calls for him to step aside.

He has been in a hospital in Saudi Arabia since November, prompting fears of a power vacuum and street protests.

The president is suffering from an inflammation of the lining around the heart and has long suffered from kidney problems.

Nigeria's powerful state governors have said they believe Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan should be acting president.

The BBC's Caroline Duffield in Lagos says Nigeria's political struggle over the president's fitness to rule may be nearing an endgame.

The president's special adviser on legislative affairs, Abba Aji, did not say when Mr Yar'Adua would write the letter but he said there would be no "undue delay".

For weeks, Nigeria has been beset with rumours and hoaxes over whether the president is alive or dead, our correspondent says.

His failure to transfer powers to his deputy before he left created a power vacuum - in which fear and false reports flourished, she says.

Newspapers said the president was brain dead - or struck dumb.

There were apparently official statements claiming the president was discharged from hospital. They later turned out not to be true.

Political tensions have been high - government business has stalled and legislation been frozen and cracks have appeared in the uneasy peace in the oil-producing Niger Delta.