March 6, 2010
A medical source to ailing Nigerian leader, Umaru Yar’Adua, has reiterated to Saharareporters that the Nigerian “president” still can’t speak or walk around as is being bandied around by his cronies in recent newspaper and cable channel reports in the country. Our source affirmed Yar’Adua remains bed-ridden, and challenges anyone within his kitchen cabinet or the media to present him to the public “drinking tea”, “talking” or “walking” as claimed by his infamous cousin, Zubair Ali Gafai. In a recent PR-packaged interview conducted by Al Jazeera’s Yvonne Ndenge, Gafai said that he saw Yar’Adua and that they had “tea” together and spoke at length.
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Soon after his interview was aired, Mr. Gafai disappeared into Niger Republic, leading opposition figures in the state, aware of his violent nature, to raise alarm for fear he may have gone there to import mercenaries to harass them.
Saharareporters learnt that Gafai reappeared again, this time granting another interview to Abuja –based Daily Trust newspaper in which Gafai contradicted himself extensively. First, he admitted that Yar’Adua doctors had given him a guide on what to discuss during his meeting, which he then admitted, lasted for only three minutes!
He also admitted that throughout the three minutes, Yar’Adua only sat on the settee. Although he maintained the initial line that he spoke with Yar’Adua about family, he gave himself away when he stated that Yar’Adua’s doctors had asked him not to discuss anything political with him.
But Saharareporters sources say it was all designed as a desperate measure to forestall any attempt by cabinet ministers to discuss Section 144 at the Federal Executive Council meeting last week.
The source said the cabal battling for power on behalf of Yar’Adua knew only too well that Yar’A was still incapable of speech. But although they gave the impression that the speech difficulty was temporary, it has been 10 days since he purportedly returned to Nigeria, and he has not spoken to anyone.
His mother, who spent days at the Presidential Villa, reportedly left yesterday without meeting her son. We could not independently verify this part as no one would step forward to speak on behalf of Yar’Adua.
The medical source told Saharareporters categorically that the so called “fast recovery” talk was a fable planted consistently in the media especially the Lagos–based The Nation newspaper owned by Bola Tinubu, as well as the Daily Trust, which last week Monday also claimed that Yar’Adua was recuperating, walking and playing with his grand children, cousins and nephews.
These claims are being consistently planted in order to fool the Nigerian public, and especially whenever members of Yar’Adua kitchen cabinet realize that Jonathan might take further steps to consolidate power.
The most recent stories, our other sources stated, are calculated at stopping Jonathan from reshuffling the cabinet.
Members of Yar’Adua’s inner political circle have become disillusioned as repeated assurances from Turai Yar’Adua and the rest of the cabal have not yielded any assurance that Yar’adua would make a surprise recovery and subsequent appearance before Nigerians to speak or even confirm that he is alive. For instance an official delegation led by Jonathan, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, military Service Chiefs and some select senior citizens that was supposed to have met Yar’Adua since last Tuesday has been told to hold off.
Yar’adua propagandist are however claiming that the meeting will take place today (Sunday) or early on Monday, but our source said it is all a ruse as neither Jonathan nor the CJN was contacted about any planned visit to Yar’Adua.
The political calculation of the cabal remains to keep Jonathan guessing while they engage in psychological warfare against him to keep him transfixed and undecided until such a time that they can somewhat present Yar’Adua alive and then push him back to the life support machines. They would then be able to manipulate the ruse that he is alive to hijack power or at the least wriggle compromises from Jonathan that would leave the cabal at an advantage.
Meanwhile they will also engage in several measures, including using the judiciary to stall Jonathan’s ascension to power while keeping control of the PDP leadership towards organizing early primaries where they would select the candidate who will eventually become the official opposition to Jonathan.
Our source further stated that the cabal has already started pushing anti-Jonathan propaganda in Western countries where they fear that he enjoys massive support. Saharareporters reviewed available documents sent to US officials linking Jonathan with Cecilia Ibru through Edwin Clarke, the prominent Ijaw leader. The documents allege that Mrs. Ibru is funding Jonathan’s presidency through Pa Clark who they said stood surety for her when she was granted bail by the courts after she was charged with converting and stealing Oceanic Bank assets. The documents claim that Jonathan’s relationship with her would erode the banking reforms instituted by the current Central bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi and stymie any further steps to fight corruption. The document concluded that Mrs. Ibru would become to the Jonathan regime, what James Ibori became to the Yar’Adua regime, an albatross.
The rest of the strategy is to continue to portray Jonathan as a weakling and an Obasanjo stooge, a campaign that finds sympathy with many Nigerians who loathe the former president.
But if there is any sign that Yar’Adua is not coming back to office anytime soon, it is most eloquently depicted by the total disappearance of his Principal Secretary, David Edevbie. Sources say he has stopped showing up at the office, leaving an assistant to man the place in the meantime.
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Soon after his interview was aired, Mr. Gafai disappeared into Niger Republic, leading opposition figures in the state, aware of his violent nature, to raise alarm for fear he may have gone there to import mercenaries to harass them.
Saharareporters learnt that Gafai reappeared again, this time granting another interview to Abuja –based Daily Trust newspaper in which Gafai contradicted himself extensively. First, he admitted that Yar’Adua doctors had given him a guide on what to discuss during his meeting, which he then admitted, lasted for only three minutes!
He also admitted that throughout the three minutes, Yar’Adua only sat on the settee. Although he maintained the initial line that he spoke with Yar’Adua about family, he gave himself away when he stated that Yar’Adua’s doctors had asked him not to discuss anything political with him.
But Saharareporters sources say it was all designed as a desperate measure to forestall any attempt by cabinet ministers to discuss Section 144 at the Federal Executive Council meeting last week.
The source said the cabal battling for power on behalf of Yar’Adua knew only too well that Yar’A was still incapable of speech. But although they gave the impression that the speech difficulty was temporary, it has been 10 days since he purportedly returned to Nigeria, and he has not spoken to anyone.
His mother, who spent days at the Presidential Villa, reportedly left yesterday without meeting her son. We could not independently verify this part as no one would step forward to speak on behalf of Yar’Adua.
The medical source told Saharareporters categorically that the so called “fast recovery” talk was a fable planted consistently in the media especially the Lagos–based The Nation newspaper owned by Bola Tinubu, as well as the Daily Trust, which last week Monday also claimed that Yar’Adua was recuperating, walking and playing with his grand children, cousins and nephews.
These claims are being consistently planted in order to fool the Nigerian public, and especially whenever members of Yar’Adua kitchen cabinet realize that Jonathan might take further steps to consolidate power.
The most recent stories, our other sources stated, are calculated at stopping Jonathan from reshuffling the cabinet.
Members of Yar’Adua’s inner political circle have become disillusioned as repeated assurances from Turai Yar’Adua and the rest of the cabal have not yielded any assurance that Yar’adua would make a surprise recovery and subsequent appearance before Nigerians to speak or even confirm that he is alive. For instance an official delegation led by Jonathan, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, military Service Chiefs and some select senior citizens that was supposed to have met Yar’Adua since last Tuesday has been told to hold off.
Yar’adua propagandist are however claiming that the meeting will take place today (Sunday) or early on Monday, but our source said it is all a ruse as neither Jonathan nor the CJN was contacted about any planned visit to Yar’Adua.
The political calculation of the cabal remains to keep Jonathan guessing while they engage in psychological warfare against him to keep him transfixed and undecided until such a time that they can somewhat present Yar’Adua alive and then push him back to the life support machines. They would then be able to manipulate the ruse that he is alive to hijack power or at the least wriggle compromises from Jonathan that would leave the cabal at an advantage.
Meanwhile they will also engage in several measures, including using the judiciary to stall Jonathan’s ascension to power while keeping control of the PDP leadership towards organizing early primaries where they would select the candidate who will eventually become the official opposition to Jonathan.
Our source further stated that the cabal has already started pushing anti-Jonathan propaganda in Western countries where they fear that he enjoys massive support. Saharareporters reviewed available documents sent to US officials linking Jonathan with Cecilia Ibru through Edwin Clarke, the prominent Ijaw leader. The documents allege that Mrs. Ibru is funding Jonathan’s presidency through Pa Clark who they said stood surety for her when she was granted bail by the courts after she was charged with converting and stealing Oceanic Bank assets. The documents claim that Jonathan’s relationship with her would erode the banking reforms instituted by the current Central bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi and stymie any further steps to fight corruption. The document concluded that Mrs. Ibru would become to the Jonathan regime, what James Ibori became to the Yar’Adua regime, an albatross.
The rest of the strategy is to continue to portray Jonathan as a weakling and an Obasanjo stooge, a campaign that finds sympathy with many Nigerians who loathe the former president.
But if there is any sign that Yar’Adua is not coming back to office anytime soon, it is most eloquently depicted by the total disappearance of his Principal Secretary, David Edevbie. Sources say he has stopped showing up at the office, leaving an assistant to man the place in the meantime.
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