Sickly Nigerian leader, Umaru Yar'adua, unceremoniously left Nigeria for Saudi Arabia at about 11:00 p.m. on Friday, arriving early on Saturday morning. Saharareporters sources said Yar'adua was met inside the presidential jet upon arrival in Jeddah by his German doctors. They reportedly performed flight stress-tests on him before certifying him fit to leave for his hotel. He was then taken to the German Hospital in Jeddah later in the day.
Sickly Nigerian leader, Umaru Yar'adua, unceremoniously left Nigeria for Saudi Arabia at about 11:00 p.m. on Friday, arriving early on Saturday morning. Saharareporters sources said Yar'adua was met inside the presidential jet upon arrival in Jeddah by his German doctors. They reportedly performed flight stress-tests on him before certifying him fit to leave for his hotel. He was then taken to the German Hospital in Jeddah later in the day.
While details of the exact medical treatments being given to Yar'adua are sketchy, Saharareporters learnt that Yar'adua insisted to his doctors that everything be done to enable him return to Nigeria by Friday night. The calculation seems to be to convey the appearance of a health person in preparation for the begining of his 2011 presidentail campaigns. As we reported previously, if he returns on Friday, he plans to embark on some cosmetic activity (including a possible cabinet shake-up to remove some controversial ministers) meant to keep Nigerians believing that he means well for the country and that his seven-point agenda is on course.
Meanwhile, he has left specific instructions to his aides to make pronouncements and take actions that would minimize focus on his health trip. "The plan here is to make this appear like a routine medical check up," said one of those aides in Abuja.
Unlike last year, when Saharareporters broke the news of Yar'adua's secret medical trip to Saudi Arabia, this time he made sure that he announced his trip to Nigerians in advance. An earlier attempt earlier in the year to embark on a two-week medical trip to a United States clinic was also postponed because Saharareporters revealed details of the planned visit, thereby embarrasing the presidency.
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