Yar’Adua’s aides bow to Jonathan
Cover Stories Feb 26, 2010

By Daniel Idonor
ABUJA—AFTER about 48 hours of non-stop high level politicking in Aso Rock, ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua’s henchmen, yesterday, toed the path of honour by admitting that the fight so far was a bad one, as they have unanimously resolved to halt political fireworks and accept Jonathan as the nation’s Acting President.

Olusegun Adeniyi, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President spoke volumes of this when he fielded questions from State House Correspondents, saying: “we are all under Dr. Jonathan now as the Acting President and Commander-in-Chief until the president returns to office fully.”

He said: “The Acting President and Commander-in-Chief, Dr. Jonathan continues to run the affairs of the country until the president is fit to takeover. The statement is very clear that the Acting President continues to run the affairs of the nation and that remains the situation as far as I am concerned, and as far as the President is concerned.

“We run one Presidency and the Acting President has already called for a meeting and I believe the meeting will hold tomorrow to brief us on how things will go and how he will run the Presidency and everybody is included, especially those who just returned from Saudi Arabia.

Segun Adeniyi’s clarification

So it’s just one Presidency and we are all under Dr. Jonathan now as the Acting President and Commander-in-Chief until the President returns to office fully.” Adeniyi clarified his earlier statement that the Acting President wants to meet with Turai Yar’Adua.

According to him, “If you ask anybody who was at the meeting he or she will tell you that what you have there in the press is not what actually happened. I was not actually there; I was doing something in the office and before I got there the meeting was over.

“Yes, the President has arrived, Jonathan has not seen him, he suggested that he would call on the first family; he would see the First Lady and then the President. So when you hear that Turai is in charge, Turai takes over, all those things are not correct.

“It’s been very unfair to the First Lady at the time she is nursing her husband. So there is no such thing and you don’t expect the Acting President, Dr. Jonathan to report to the First Lady, it is abnormal and it won’t happen.

What the Acting President actually said was that he was going to see the first lady and ask about the husband, that is the President, and probably see him. To me that is the normal situation, which I believe, is the natural thing to do.

What is the relationship between the President and the Acting President?

“Very cordial relationship. I know for a fact that when the President was in Saudi Arabia, medical report of the President was being sent to the Acting President on the instruction of the President.

The last one was last Friday. Dr. Salisu, the President’s Chief Physician sent to the Acting President through the ambassador a forwarding letter, I was copied. I have a copy of the medical report on the President’s health and if you read the letter sent by the President he addressed Dr. Jonathan as the Acting President. I have a copy of the letter.

“They have always had a cordial relationship and I also know for a fact that several times in the council when the President was presiding he always said it that anytime he was not around no memo should wait for him, that they should go to the Acting President, then the VP and also when there was friction between Ministers and Minister of State, he mentioned the kind of cordial relationship he had with Dr. Goodluck Jonathan then as his Vice President. So as far as I am concerned, they had a very cordial relationship.
17 Responses for “Yar’Adua’s aides bow to Jonathan”

1.
okolo chukwulobe says:
February 26, 2010 at 2:32 am

I had some measure of respect for Mr. segun Adeniyi when he was a columnist with Thisday but I fear now that he wants to attempt to insult our collective intelligence with this rather tall tale just like all the other charlatans in the FEC. If these medical reports & letters have been issued days ago, why on earth werent they made public, even if they only serve to douse the tension in the polity? Segun, you promised to make the little difference you could, I’m not convinced anymore…
2.
Osilo Reagan. says:
February 26, 2010 at 2:22 am

I wonder what the former president and family are takin us for?presidents of countries have had polio,have been amputated and confined to a wheelchair,been shot,had goitres,yet their whole condition was well known to their citizens;here,we don’t even know the stage or state of our presidents ailment,rather they chose to be sneaking him in and out.We all pray for health but the family should stop disgracin us;we shall still accept him which ever way he is, provided he is brain alive enough to carry out his duties.
3.
tentewa says:
February 26, 2010 at 2:02 am

hm, hmm(clear throath)as an elder man !!!! it is only when a mad man dies , that his relatives will be known( igbo proverb) the chewing sound of biter kolanut is not the how it taste.3, when one finger touches oil , it will spread to other four fingers.4 an open enemy is better than a false friend, so mr adeninyi i can see much presure on you and you dont know where to stand ,you gang of group ssmuggled in our president in the dead nite just like a cocain? and now both of you cabals noticed that , the plot wont bear any good fruit cus the eye of we nigerians is widely opened and all hands must be be on desk like what our dear president(Jonathan ) said .
4.
John Bull says:
February 26, 2010 at 2:00 am

My question is ‘Is the President strong enough to write and if he is, then he should produce an official letter transferring temporary executive power to Jonathan’? Sometimes Nigeria is like a mystery that u find hard to understand. When will all these lies stop. I just wonder.
5.
rasheed momodu says:
February 26, 2010 at 1:29 am

MOUTH CHANGING…….
6.
Harry Biosah, Santa Clarita, Ca. says:
February 26, 2010 at 12:51 am

You guys can go jump into a lake. Who is the first lady or any minister to
shun the acting president? Jonathan ,Nigerians and the International
community are with you. You must be very firm with these people. Do not
let anyone push you around. You must remain in charge as long as the
president is unfit to rule the country.
7.
Budah Abdul says:
February 26, 2010 at 12:46 am

i want to believe that the wrangling over who assume full leadrship and who what not is simply and squrely a function of who becomes the nest beneficiary from the nations loot. intrigues to divert the attention of nigerians has become a common place in tthe nations polity. Nigerians should retrace thier priorities in the midst of policy summersault.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/02/26/yaraduas-aides-bow-to-jonathan/