A showdown between “Yar’adua loyalists” and “pro-Jonathan” ministers was narrowly averted at yesterday’s meeting of the Federal Executive Council when Acting President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan approved a paper submitted to him by the so-called “12 wise men.” A highly informed source told Daily Trust last night that Jonathan’s approval of the “wise men’s” paper formally brought to an end all efforts by his “loyalists” to invoke Section 144 of the Constitution and declare the ailing President Umaru Yar’adua permanently incapacitated.

Daily Trust learnt that the comprehensive peace formula that averted the crisis was worked out on Tuesday night and early yesterday by some elderly ministers and a few young ones. Leading the “wise men” was Minister of Niger Delta and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Chief Ufot Ekaette. Also in the team were Defence Minister Major General Godwin Abbe, Education Minister Dr. Sam Egwu, Interior Minister Dr. Shettima Mustapha, Petroleum Resources Minister Dr. Rilwan Lukman and National Planning Minister Dr. Samsudeen Usman. Police Affairs Dr. Ibrahim Lame, FCT Minister Mohamed Adamu Aliero and Minister of State for Interior Chief Demola Seriki were also members.

They held two long meetings at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters in Abuja’s Central Business District and later met twice with the acting president to present their suggestions. Jonathan apparently sought some changes to the memo, which the ministers later effected.

One of the bombshell explanations that guided the wise men, a source said, was a statement by Health Minister Professor Babatunde Osetimehin, who said Section 144 of the Constitution was defective from a medical point of view because no doctor could pronounce “permanent incapacity” on any man who is still alive.

The “wise men” told the acting president that there was the need for him “to take full charge” of the government and the country. They said the media campaign launched by Information Minister Professor Dora Akunyili against what she called “a cabal” around Yar’adua has portrayed both the government and the country in bad light.

The ministers then listed 5 resolutions, which they said tallied with the 36 state governors’ conclusions the night before. They are that: positions which tally with that of the governors: 1] As acting president, Dr. Jonathan is not running a different administration but a continuation of the electoral mandate given to Yar’Adua and himself in 2007, and that he should therefore resist any attempt to invoke Section 144 of the Constitution to declare Yar’adua inform. They said the invocation of Section 144 would fail and “the consequences would be devastating for the polity.”

2]. That Professor Dora Akunyii must be called to order for running a campaign against the president and his family, “thus embarrassing the government of which she is supposed to be the spokesperson.”

3]. The acting president should not make seeing Yar’adua a precondition for continuing to preside over the affairs of the nation or allow anyone to use it as an opportunity to remove him from power.

4. The acting president “should be wary of self-serving politicians, especially those from the Niger Delta region “who are making inflammatory statements capable of causing confusion in the country.”

5. The Acting President “should please note that any moves to unseat President Yar’adua can be sure to fail.”

Daily Trust learnt that Jonathan accepted all the recommendations and apparently instructed the “pro-Jonathan” to make no move at yesterday’s FEC meeting.

Another very reliable source told Daily Trust yesterday that at the state governors’ meeting on Tuesday, Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva spoke first and described Yar’adua as “a good president who unfortunately happens to have health challenge.” He urged the meeting to take a tough stand on Akunyili. During the governors’ briefing of reporters last night, Sylva expressed this view publicly.

Sources at the meeting said Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole spoke next, recalling his personal discussion with Jonathan, where he said he warned that history “should not record him as the person who presided over a council where there was a move to remove his principal.” Other Governors who spoke at the meeting said “some people who don’t mean well for the country” were behind the campaign to remove Yar’adua.

Daily Trust learnt that the South-South governors produced the consensus formula that Yar’adua remains President while Jonathan acts until he is fit to take over. They said anything to the contrary was akin to a civilian coup.

Incidentally, PDP national executive officers led by the chairman Prince Vincent Ogbulafor pushed the same viewpoint when they were admitted into the PDP governors’ meeting, before all the governors met with Jonathan later that night.

Yet another informed source told Daily Trust that the issue of the advisory council appointed by Jonathan on Tuesday came up at the governors’ meeting. The source said some governors expressed displeasure and said even under the Obasanjo regime, people were never nominated from the states without consulting with the governors. At least one northern governor also said the fact that both the council’s chairman, Lt. General T.Y. Danjuma and his deputy, Professor Ben Nwabueze were Christians was a political mistake.

Another important decision taken at the meeting was that PDP’s zoning formula would remain for the 2011 election, in which case the presidency would still go to the North. The implication was Jonathan would not be able to run. While some Governors said that should not be announced publicly, Northern governors argued strongly that the party Chairman should announce it, which Ogbulafor later did.

The governors also decided that Akunyili’s statement about probing the army due to the deploying of Guards Brigades men on the night of Yar’adua’s return to the country was “reckless and dangerous,” saying it was “capable of inciting the public to violence.” They also condemned those who were calling for the removal of Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Abdurrahman Dambazau, saying the reckless utterances “are already affecting the military.” They took exception to statements by Ijaw leader Chief Edwin Clark calling on Jonathan to sack the military Service Chiefs.

The Governors however condemned last Wednesday’s statement by the president’s Special Adviser, Media Olusegun Adeniyi, on the day of Yar’adua’s return, which addressed the acting president as Vice President. They however said the statement was later corrected and that after that, “no aide or family member of the president had interfered in governance at Aso Rock and that the acting president is fully in charge.”

Daily Trust learnt that before yesterday’s truce was worked out, the “rebel ministers” planning to push for Yar’adua’s ouster were 9 in all, including Foreign Minister Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Mrs. Akunyili, Minister of State for Niger Delta Godsay Orubebe, Minister of Mines and Steel Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke, Minister of State for Finance Remi Babalola and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mahmud Yayale Ahmed.

However, a source said, a meeting of the “rebel ministers” at Akunyili’s Radio House was discontinued inconclusively when they heard that Jonathan had approved the truce document. Yesterday’s FEC meeting was therefore an anti-climax, which ministers patting one another and no crisis occurred at the meeting.

Jonathan will be a fool if he accepts all these.

when I saw Sam Egwu and Aliero there I was sure of what i was gonna see in the text.


See intimidation. He should not insist on seeing the president! What a country?

agabaI23:

I also make bold to say that the constitution of Nigeria supersedes any party's agreement.

Pharoh:

It should have been but not when it does not represent the wish of the Nigerian people.

agabaI23:

So the PDP agreement represents the wish of the Nigerian people?

Why do we have a constitution then? INFS

agabaI23:

So the PDP agreement represents the wish of the Nigerian people?

Why do we have a constitution then? INFS

Beaf:

Gra-gra doesn't win anything. In the end, all these people will run back to Jonathan, they have now realised that they can't stop him, next they will realise that they can't control him; in fact, most of the ministers are already done for (with the committees Jonathan set up).

yea because without it most southerners wont smell the presidency unless theyre a muslim.

Pharoh:

But he has already accepted the agreement with the governors forum and other stakeholders so i guess it is game over. The FEC and NASS has already calmed everything so what else could be up his sleeves?.

Beaf:

He doesn't need to have anything up his sleeves, just the strength and willingness to pursue his path after things have calmed down. He has the power (when some degree of calm has returned) to effectively shut down any noise maker like Tanko Yakasai etc without resistance; Ibori will very likely be extradited to the UK (or be too busy fighting for his life); he doesn't have to consult the FEC, because he has set up parallel commitees (who are also looking into contracts awarded by FEC members in the past 100+ days); international agreements have been reached to investigate troublemakers, their sources of money and to trace the conduits of those funds to foreign banks.

Don't forget that it took OBJ one month as an ex-soldier to reshuffle the army. Winning some calm is Jonathans first victory, we can now move forward gradually.

paddy_lo:

this is BS. . .A good southern candidate can sweep the 17 southern states

and win in plateau,benue,taraba,kaduna(with help of northern VP),and get the required 25% in kogi,adamawa,and Niger

can u explain to me how someone like yar a dull would have won a free fair election without Rotational Presidency?
He would have only won in his 12 sharia states. . .thats a fact

Pharoh:

I really hope things goes as you have just highlighted but in all these i still believe he needs a considerable home support. He needs support from his party as well as the opposition parties, from the army, governors, national assembly, the masses, students, labor unions and all other interest groups. But i am not seeing all these right now judging from the present situation which makes it look like a one man army with little support. I just hope when he starts acting finally these needed support will rise to the occasion and in terms of dealing with the military i think he really needs the help of OBJ or former retired personel's from the south.

I don't think a president without a military background should be the C-in-C of an undisciplined/politicized army like that of Nigeria.

That Professor Dora Akunyii must be called to order for running a campaign against the president and his family, “thus embarrassing the government of which she is supposed to be the spokesperson.”

naijaking1:

OBJ, OBJ, OBJ, where art thou?

paddy_lo:

No i dont agree with u. . .

Lets imagine that yar adua wrote a letter in the first place,and it was torn by turai
then we are now back to were we were supposed to be

that is yar adua on extended leave,and jonathan in charge. .

thats why turai is so jittery,she thought her husband will be removed,instead of just being on leave
she made the whole situation worse by tearing the letter

Now the second thing is that yaradua may have only 1 month to live,so why flog a dead horse.  .
i believe he may actually be moved again to get better treatment

and there will be clamour for a VP for jonathan

so lets wait and see

Beaf:

Even if things don't work to that plan, the fight is still Jonathans to lose. The buck stops with him, no excuses.
For now, he seems to have laid his groundwork quite well. The army is the greatest threat, but he can checkmate any ambitious guys with careful planning and ruthlessness (let nobody dream that he can't be ruthless, all Alams supporting Bayelsa ex-commissioners know the drill).

Jaylon:

I won't say the cabal has won. The demands they made were fairly reasonable IMO.

People, Jonathan has to thread softly because Yar'adua is still
alive and remember he is president in an acting capacity.

I believe the troop buildup around abuja and aso rock (without his knowledge) should
be looked into and if possible, heads should roll. But it cannot be done in a haste.

Jonathan needs to let the unruly northern elements understand that he is not anti-yar'adua and
at the same time, assert himself by putting his foot on the ground. He has already shown he is up
the task by quickly replacing Aondoakaa as AGF.

As someone has stated, too much gra gra is not the solution to this fuming situation.