Goodluck will need to be bold now! He has to reshuffle the cabinet fast, so he can have a proper grip of power.

Feb. 25 (Bloomberg) -- The return of Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua from three months of medical treatment abroad may trigger a power struggle with Deputy President Goodluck Jonathan that is likely to be resolved within two days, the Eurasia Group said.

“The next 48 hours in Nigeria will be crucial in determining which of the country’s top two leaders runs it,” Sebastian Spio-Garbrah, Africa analyst for Eurasia Group in New York, said in a note to clients yesterday. Eurasia is a global political risk and consulting company.

Jonathan was named acting president by the legislature on Feb. 9 to fill a power vacuum in Africa’s top oil producer created by the president’s failure to formally transfer power when he left the country. Jonathan will remain in charge of state affairs while Yar’Adua continues recuperating, his spokesman Olusegun Adeniyi said on his return yesterday.

The ailing president returned before a cabinet vote yesterday that may have declared him medically unfit and removed him from office, Spio-Garbrah said. The meeting was cancelled after confusion about who should chair it. Yar’Adua will have to appear in public within two days in order to regain the presidency or Jonathan may get the cabinet to rule him incapacitated, he said.

“No matter the outcome, the risk of a major sectarian elite power struggle is high,” Spio-Garbrah said.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-25/yar-adua-s-return-triggers-nigeria-power-struggle-eurasia-says.html

Nigerians in the next few days will expect bold steps from Goodluck towards the unity and progress of our dear country. I expect Goodluck to frankly advice Yaradua to leave the scene and retire to Katsina to attand to his health. That is the only way Yaradua can prove to us that he has the interrest of this country at heart.

Although Yar’adua’s return was facilitated by members of the kitchen cabinet, facts are now emerging as to how the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, was co-opted into the deal. Our sources indicate that Dambazau last night ordered the deployment of two battalions in Abuja without clearing with Jonathan, the acting president. A diplomatic source from an EU nation told Saharareporters, “The ability of the army chief to move troops without the knowledge or approval of the acting president raises serious security questions.”

Our sources indicated that Dambazau is deeply implicated in improper financial deals that made it easy for the Yar’adua hawks to enlist him in their plans. According to a petition shown to Saharareporters, the COAS, through the Ministry of Defense, had awarded “peacekeeping” contracts worth N9 billion to fictitious companies reportedly owned by James Ibori, an Israeli arms supplier, Alon Neiken (the owner of Megaplaza in Lagos) and Dambazau. Sources told Saharareporters that Dambazau has a stake in four of the companies that received the jumbo “peacekeeping” contracts. The companies involved in the scandalous contracts are HIS Nigeria, Nurit International, Yommy Logistics, Mass International, Arsenal International and M-2 International, were reportedly involved in the scandalous contract.


Yar’Adua’s core loyalists from the office of the National Security Agency confronted Dambazau with the petition, which had been submitted to the EFCC and copied to the NSA last Monday. “The team basically blackmailed Dambazau with their knowledge of the peacekeeping contracts,” said a source. Dambazau, a Lieutenant General in the Nigerian Army, reportedly objected to earlier calls to take over power and fought back initially. But he soon gave in and started taking orders from Yar’Adua’s ADC, Mustapha Onoedieva, an army infantry colonel, to deploy troops without question. We have determined that, in addition to Goodluck Jonathan, neither the Director General of State Security Services nor the Inspector-General of Police knew what was going on.

http://saharareporters.com/real-news/sr-headlines/5284-turai-coup-detat-how-turai-yaradua-seized-power.html

I love this, sick person no fit drag with healthy person.

'written declaration' means a 'declaration' that has been put in 'writing'. the constitution did not say it must be signed.the bbc interview was a declaration to the whole world, the senate president and speaker inclusive.same was carried by our national dailies and documented in the national library. a copy of such newspaper publication can be tendered as a written declaration.

By Matthew Tostevin

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's Acting President Goodluck Jonathan could win support as a candidate for the presidency in 2011 if he delivers in coming months, said a former minister with a reputation as a key reformer.

Jonathan has not said he might stand for the presidency and the place on the ruling party ticket has been widely expected to go to someone from ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua's Muslim north rather than Jonathan's more heavily Christian south.

But Nasir El-Rufai, a northerner from a group of younger Nigerian politicians pushing for more rapid liberal reforms, became one of the first to openly suggest the possibility of support for a Jonathan candidacy.

"Yar'Adua is from the North but did nothing for the region, just like many before him," he told Reuters in response to emailed questions.

"If Goodluck shows real leadership over the next few months, many of us will campaign for him to be our president. And I think Nigeria and the West African sub-region will be the better for it," said Rufai, who has been tipped in local media for a possible position in Jonathan's administration.

Jonathan, the vice president, assumed executive powers last week, over two months after Yar'Adua left for a Saudi hospital.

El-Rufai was one of the most senior members of former President Olusegun Obasanjo's team, serving as minister for the capital Abuja and heading the privatisation agency, and was tipped as a potential candidate for the 2007 election.

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE61G0AD20100217?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

However, unknown to Nigerians, the Federal Executive Council of the Federation has already complied with section 144(1)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and has declared President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua incapable of discharging the functions of his office. Why do I say so?

Section 144(1)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria states as follows:

“The President or Vice-President shall cease to hold office, if-

(a) by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of all the members of the executive council of the Federation it is declared that the President or Vice-President is incapable of discharging the functions of his office.”


On Wednesday, February 10, 2010, during the Federal Executive Council meeting, the Council passed a Resolution accepting the Resolution of both Houses of the National Assembly which made Goodluck Jonathan the “Acting President”. Now, what is that “Resolution” which the Federal Executive Council accepted and adopted as its own?

The Resolutions states in part:

‘However, on 12 January, 2010, Mr. President informed Nigerians through the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), that he was receiving medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, and would only return to Nigeria to resume his functions as President when his doctors so certify.” (emphasis mine).

The phrase “to resume his functions”, means at the moment, he cannot discharge those functions and would only resume discharging the functions if his doctors say so. “Would only” means he is no longer in control of his own destiny and he is unsure whether he will resume his duties or not.

Even if the Resolution of the National Assembly is unconstitutional as some people say, by accepting and adopting this Resolution containing the President’s declaration as its own, the Federal Executive Council has passed that Resolution afresh as its own and has substantially complied with section 144(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which now makes the Resolution constitutional as far as the Council is concerned. This is because, the only section in the whole Constitution which gives power to the Federal Executive Council to pass this kind of Resolution on the medical condition of the President is section 144(1)(a) quoted above. Therefore, by adopting the Resolution of the National Assembly, the Federal Executive Council was exercising its powers under section 144(1)(a) of the Constitution.

What is next? Section 144(1)(b), (2), (3) and (4) state as follows:

“(b) the declaration is verified, after such medical examination as may be necessary, by a medical panel established under subsection (4) of this section in its report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(2) Where the medical panel certifies in the report that in its opinion the President or Vice-President is suffering from such infirmity of body or mind as renders him permanently incapable of discharging the functions of his office, a notice thereof signed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be published in the official Gazette of the Government of the Federation.

(3) The President or Vice-President shall cease to hold office as from the date of publication of the notice of the medical report pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.

(4) The medical panel to which this section relates shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, and shall comprise five medical practitioners in Nigeria…”

As a result of subsection 4 above, the ball is now in the court of the President of the Senate to appoint the medical practitioners to ascertain the health status of the President and report back to him and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. If they arrive Saudi Arabia and they cannot have access to the President, that will be res ipsa loquitor (the facts speaks for themselves). In other words, it would now be certain that the President is not even healthy enough to see anybody or receive any visitor and the doctors can then file in their report as such.

TAKE NOTICE that I am giving you THREE (3) CLEAR DAYS FROM TODAY, the 16th of February, 2010, to appoint the medical panel stipulated under section 144(4) above since the Federal Executive Council has discharged its functions under section 144(1)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the ball is now in your court.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that if you fail, refuse and/or neglect to so act, I shall be proceeding to court against you to save this democracy an avoidable collapse.

I thank you.

Yours most trusted,

FESTUS KEYAMO, ESQ.
HEAD OF CHAMBERS

That was an excellent speech. Comparable to Obama speeches. just check out these:

"The circumstances in which I find myself assuming office today as Acting President of our country are uncommon, sober and reflective. More than ever therefore, I urge all Nigerians as a people of faith in God, to pray fervently for the full recovery of our dear President and his early return."

"Therefore, we see a need to prioritise on a few of the most critical areas which continue to plague our effort at engendering meaningful economic growth and development. Some of these critical sectors include power, infrastructure, security, generation of employment and business opportunities for our teeming young men and women."

I won't be surprised if Aondoaka is absent at today's FEC meeting.

I prophecy that in the next few days, aondoaka will reap the fruit of his mischief.

I LOve Dora! She is actually a man in a womans body.

This woman was not cut out for this corruption rubbish. She is an upright person and she has proven it. What men in FEC could not do, she has done. I praise her courage. They can't do her nothing. She is saying the obvious truth. Read my lips, this woman is has broken record. She is a HERO!

"The Senate urged the president , to formally notify the National Assembly of his medical vacation pursuant to section 145 of the 1999 constitution," Senate President David Mark said, following two days of closed-door debate by lawmakers.

Article 145 states that whenever the president submits a written declaration that he is going on vacation or otherwise unable to perform his duties, the vice president takes over as acting president until he writes again to the contrary.

Although the Senate does not have the authority to force Yar'Adua to hand over power, parliament could in theory move to impeach him for misconduct if he fails to heed its call.

The Senate's decision after what lawmakers described as hours of "painstaking" debate is another blow to the efforts of Yar'Adua's "kitchen cabinet" to keep him in power.

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE60Q0BV20100127?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

FEC is a bunch of irresponsible crooks. What is Dora still doing there? The good guys among them, if any should resign immediately because very soon, their shame will appear to all!

Is it possible to kidnap a general?

Plateau State Christian Elders Consultative Forum has accused the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3rd Armoured Division, Nigerian Army, Jos, Maj-Gen. Sale Maina of complicity in the Jos mayhem and called on Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Assembly and the United Nations (UN) to investigate him (Maina) for his role in the sectarian killings.

The forum insisted in a statement in Abuja yesterday that Maina must be made to face some charges in an International Court of Justice, just as it made a case for a joint police-military patrol of the troubled city in the interest of national security, as against the military-only patrols put in place by Maina.
The statement acknowledged that a “semblance of peace (was) returning to Jos city after one week killings and destruction,” but rejected what it called efforts to militarise the state by withdrawing the police and imposing the army.

“Only last week, we raised alarm over the activities of the soldiers in Jos city under the watchful eyes and command of a man who was a former aide to General Muhammad Buhari and now the General Commanding Officer, GOC, 3rd Armour Division in Jos, Major General Sale Maina.
“For whatever hidden agenda, Major General Maina has used his official position to organise the killings of Christians in this latest crisis in Jos. Instead of Major General Maina mixing Christian soldiers with their Muslim counterparts in each patrol team, he preffered to select only Muslim soldiers in patrol teams with the sole aim of carrying out a jihad.”

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/jan/25/national-25-01-2010-02.htm

There were speculations in the Presidential Villa that the meeting might today (Wednesday) herald a major shift in the debates triggered by Yar’Adua’s absence from the country.

There had been intense pressure on the leadership of the National Assembly, and the Federal Executive Council, to put in place constitutional procedures that would ensure that the vice-president became acting President in the absence of a formal letter to that effect from the President.

However, the ruling had failed to stop the ongoing debate over the President’s health and calls on him to write the National Assembly to enable Jonathan become Acting-President.

Meanwhile, today’s (Wednesday’s) FEC meeting is slated to commence 30 minutes earlier than usual, as it was disclosed on Tuesday that the meeting, which normally starts by 10am, will begin at 9.30am today.

Unconfirmed reports suggested that Yar’Adua may address the meeting through a video conference.

It was gathered that issues surrounding the President’s health would feature prominently at the meeting.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201001200431217

@RICHYBLACK

BAYELSA, RIVERS, AKWA IBOM, CROSS RIVERS, DELTA AND EDO- NIGER DELTA

kADUNA SOUTH, PLATEAU NASSARAWA, BENUE, TARABA,KOGI, ADAMAWA SOUTH, ABUJA -MIDDLE BELT

KADUNA NORTH, KATSINA, KANO, ZAMFARA, SOKOTO, KEBBI, BORNO, YOBE, BAUCHI, GOMBE, ADAMAWA NORTH,- ISLAMIC REPUBLIC

OYO, LAGOS, OSUN, GUN, EKITI, ONDO- ODUDUWA

ENUGU, ABIA, EBONYI, IMO,-BIAFRA

THE STRUCTURE SHOULD BE AS FOLLOWS:

ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AREWA

MIDDLE BELT REPUBLIC

ODUDUWA REPUBLIC

BIAFRAN REPUBLIC

NIGER DELTA REPUBLIC

Source: Posts on Facebook.

Jos, Curfew is 24hrs now, heard that there are fake Military people around hence the military seems to be taking a 'no holes barred' approach, have been listening to sporadic gunfire though cant say exactly were its coming from, People, lets share what we can see and see what we can share, careful everyone!!!

Lets pray for this situation not to escalate. Its really sad that Jos is in choas again, please advice anyone you know to postpone travelling through Jos, as it could be dangerous and to avoid falling into wrong hands. The media would not say it but the situation call for serious prayers.

just saw on the news, Dutse Uku, Katako, Nassarawa, Rikkos, seem to be hot spots, truth oh, if you planning to visit Jos just hold on oh!!

I'm heart broken in like a million places! I'm in rayfield & as usuall nothings happening here but people down The road say they also heard gun shots i guess its coming from tha abattior area,

Farin Gada might seem a bit hot too, though the gunshots reducing substantially

i just called someone, unfortunately he's in Abuja & his family is in Abattior. He said he called home &they are safe cos there are lots of military men around &his house is near the police station but there are lots of gunshots which might be warning shots from the law enforcement as we all know there is a large hausa fulani settlement in that area esp @the dogon karfe area,

Thanks Kyenshak, at least thats consoling, heard the security people are doing a great job too

nice to hear things are calming down. My people said their area has calmed down too

Yes things may be calming down for now, But I am worried abut the night. there can be resurgence. Lets hope it does not spread beyond what has happened.

Pat Robertson is a seasoned man of God. You guys should be careful what you say about him.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5513787-147/lawmaker_demands_power_handover_to_jonathan.csp

Patrick Obahiagbon, the House of Representatives member who once described a Senate-House row as “megalomaniacal”, on Monday became the first lawmaker of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to publicly demand an “immediate and formal” handover by President Umaru Yar’adua to the Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan.

Mr. Obahiagbon, who represents Oredo in Edo State, said the unpredictability of ill health might have stopped the president from transfering power to his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan. He, however, said if the president was healthy enough to sign the budget and conduct an interview with the BBC, he should also abide by section 145 of the constitution and allow his deputy assume full acting powers.

“What is all the judicial macossa dance about Mr. Vice President performing presidential functions and yet cannot function as an Acting president?” Mr. Obahiagbon said.

His comment is a departure from the silence which the National Assembly members have maintained on the president’s health, with the majority PDP members repeatedly turning down requests for comment on the issue.

The few members that have called for the conferment of full acting powers on Mr. Jonathan belong to the opposition parties, especially the Action Congress.

Not bothered about sanctions

The PDP, which has maintained there is no power vacuum in the presidency, last week said it will consider sanctions against members who express views different from the party’s position that all is well.

But Mr. Obahiagbon said he does not bother about party sanctions on him; saying he will be “bewildered” should the party “roll out punitive actions against its member who have spoken in favour of the constitution.”

I can offer 1.7m after inspection. It's 2wd I can see? I really need one.

I love that. Let the man fear small.

ABUJA—SEQUEL to the statement issued, weekend by Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, panic has gripped some ministers and public office holders, Vanguard can reveal authoritatively.
Also, Vanguard understands that while the VP will not embark on witch-hunting, he is out to “robe himself in a no-nonsense toga.” This is because he is about to get tougher about the style of operation of some ministers and heads of some government agencies and parastatals.
It was gathered that following disclosures three weeks earlier, when the Vice President instructed some ministers not to proceed on vacation, and about some ministers who might be exploiting the absence of ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua to carry out self-serving agenda, he “would now begin to get tough with a view to demonstrating that he was not picked as President Yar’Adua’s deputy for nothing, especially now that he is about to start acting fully”.
The source in Aso Rock told Vanguard that “what some Nigerians must understand about Vice President Jonathan is that the man is a system’s person and understands how the power game is structured and how it is played. He knows what he is doing.
All those who think he would embark on a voyage of witch-hunting are mistaken and grossly so however, those who think the man does not know what he is doing, and that they, in turn are the ones who are smart should be prepared for tougher times.
“You know the Vice President has kept to time since he started chairing FEC meetings from November 25, 2009. The meeting is for 10.00 a.m. and it starts at 10.00 a.m. It is not about a new sheriff in town, or about a new Pharaoh who does not know Joseph; it is about doing what is right.
“The Vice President and other Nigerians are praying for the return of President Yar’Adua and anything to the contrary is sheer malice and mischief. The statement issued by the Office of the Vice President had to be issued. We were beginning to see signs that some people were bent on mischief making and as far as we were concerned, that would not work; some people were already beginning to play pranks.
“You know we had discussed this matter before and the synergy between President Yar’Adua and his deputy is such that some people were never comfortable with it. But the truth is that the Vice President knows what President Yar’Adua would have done if he was here in the Villa to oversee things for himself. The man knows what his boss would have done at a time like this. It was the same thing Mr. President did when he summoned the Power Minister, Babalola, and gave him a blank cheque to ensure that the power sector is made to work.
“Vice President Jonathan was also at that meeting when President Yar’Adua said ministers come and go but that whatever goes wrong, he, Yar’Adua would be held responsible. Not even the interjection from the Vice President about the liability by association could deter the President from asserting that it is the President’s name that people would refer to.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/01/18/jonathan-panic-grips-ministers/

ABUJA—SEQUEL to the statement issued, weekend by Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, panic has gripped some ministers and public office holders, Vanguard can reveal authoritatively.
Also, Vanguard understands that while the VP will not embark on witch-hunting, he is out to “robe himself in a no-nonsense toga.” This is because he is about to get tougher about the style of operation of some ministers and heads of some government agencies and parastatals.
It was gathered that following disclosures three weeks earlier, when the Vice President instructed some ministers not to proceed on vacation, and about some ministers who might be exploiting the absence of ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua to carry out self-serving agenda, he “would now begin to get tough with a view to demonstrating that he was not picked as President Yar’Adua’s deputy for nothing, especially now that he is about to start acting fully”.
The source in Aso Rock told Vanguard that “what some Nigerians must understand about Vice President Jonathan is that the man is a system’s person and understands how the power game is structured and how it is played. He knows what he is doing.
All those who think he would embark on a voyage of witch-hunting are mistaken and grossly so however, those who think the man does not know what he is doing, and that they, in turn are the ones who are smart should be prepared for tougher times.
“You know the Vice President has kept to time since he started chairing FEC meetings from November 25, 2009. The meeting is for 10.00 a.m. and it starts at 10.00 a.m. It is not about a new sheriff in town, or about a new Pharaoh who does not know Joseph; it is about doing what is right.
“The Vice President and other Nigerians are praying for the return of President Yar’Adua and anything to the contrary is sheer malice and mischief. The statement issued by the Office of the Vice President had to be issued. We were beginning to see signs that some people were bent on mischief making and as far as we were concerned, that would not work; some people were already beginning to play pranks.
“You know we had discussed this matter before and the synergy between President Yar’Adua and his deputy is such that some people were never comfortable with it. But the truth is that the Vice President knows what President Yar’Adua would have done if he was here in the Villa to oversee things for himself. The man knows what his boss would have done at a time like this. It was the same thing Mr. President did when he summoned the Power Minister, Babalola, and gave him a blank cheque to ensure that the power sector is made to work.
“Vice President Jonathan was also at that meeting when President Yar’Adua said ministers come and go but that whatever goes wrong, he, Yar’Adua would be held responsible. Not even the interjection from the Vice President about the liability by association could deter the President from asserting that it is the President’s name that people would refer to.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?action=post;board=20.0

ABUJA—An Abuja-based constitutional lawyer, Mr Kayode Ajulo, has invoked the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal high court sitting in Abuja, asking it to declare, without further delay, Dr Jonathan Goodluck as the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the account that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had duly informed the leadership of the National Assembly through his 12 January 2010 broadcast of his temporary inability to perform the functions of his office.
Ajulo is the fourth and the latest litigant in the legal quest by majority of Nigerians to ensure that the ailing President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua steps down on the account of his ill-health to enable Jonathan begin the performance of presidential functions in his own right as acting president in line with the provision of section 145 of the 1999 constitution.
Ajulo invoked the original jurisdiction of the court on a day radical Lagos lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, tendered the transcript of the same 12 January 2010 broadcast by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in court to invite Justice Adamu Bello, the new judge, to hold that it amounted to a written declaration as required by section 145 of the 1999 constitution to allow his vice begin to perform the presidential functions as acting president.
Falana tendered Yar’Adua’s speech in court
He said although the Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Michael Kaase Andoakaa, SAN, had refused to answer the seven questions he served on him about the health status of Yar’Adua, he said the president had saved the situation by transmitting the required written declaration to the appropriate authourities through the BBC broadcast, the transcript now published by Nigerian newspapers, to the effect that he would not be able to perform the functions of his office for now until otherwise advised to so do by his doctors.
He is urging the court not to waste time to okay his request by declaring Jonathan as the acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria so that he could start to perform the functions of the office in his own right.
In the fresh originating summons already lodged at the registry of the Abuja Federal high court, the constitutional lawyer, Ajulo, is also inviting the court to hold that the Yar’Adua’s broadcast to Nigerians, including the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, the transcript of which had been received and read by them, amounted to activation of the provisions of section 145 of the 1999 constitution.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/01/18/declare-jonathan-acting-president-by-ajulo-falana/

Does not matter, the guy is in charge. Veyr soon you shall all see.

Correct man. I want to see Aondaaka pushed out!

Thats my guy. Keep it up. And make sure to do away with people like Aondaaka.

as men of God, we see in part and we prophecy in part. Sometimes due to circumstances around us we miss it. Bakare was humble enough to admit that he was deceived to think of Yaradua as the messiah.

So cool down, Bakare is not God, he is just a man of God subject to imperfection.