Daily Trust
27 November, 2009

The State House in Abuja declared yesterday that President Umaru Yar’adua, who departed the country in a hurry last Monday to seek medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, is suffering from acute pericarditis, an inflammation of the fibrous sac surrounding the heart, otherwise known as pericardium. It was the first time in two and a half years of his presidency that the State House revealed Yar’adua’s ailment to the public.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, who spoke to newsmen late in the afternoon yesterday, quoted the Chief Physician to the President Dr. Salisu Banye as having confirmed the ailment. He said, “At about 3pm on Friday, November 20th, after he returned from the Abuja Central Mosque where he performed the Juma’at prayers, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua complained of left sided severe chest pain. Preliminary medical examinations suggested acute pericarditis (an inflammatory condition of the coverings of the heart). It was then decided that he should undertake confirmatory checks at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where he had his last medical check-up in August.”

Adeniyi added, “The medical review and tests undertaken at the hospital have confirmed the initial diagnosis that the President is indeed suffering from acute pericarditis.” He said it was not yet clear when Yar’adua will return to the country, but that for now, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan has taken over presidential powers. “The vice president is now acting on behalf of the president. He takes charge in the absence of the president,” he said. He added that Yar’adua “is receiving treatment for the ailment and is responding remarkably well.”

Commenting on rumours that swept the country on Wednesday night and throughout Thursday that Yar’adua may have died, Adeniyi said the president was unhappy with them. “He is a human being, naturally he will feel bad. This is not the first time. The President was aware of the rumour. He felt bad about it as any normal human being would,” Adeniyi said.  Asked what government intends to do about such rumours, he said, “What can we do? We can’t legislate against rumour. There is nothing anybody can do.”

He also dismissed claims that Yar’adua will seize the opportunity of his being in Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj. “No, it is definitely not

True,” the adviser said.  “Even before the President travelled he knew that he was not going to perform the Hajj. When I did the first draft for the statement, I stated that the President will do medicals and undergo hajj, but he said no, I am not going to do hajj. So there is no way he is going to do hajj.”

Asked whether the president left the country at midnight because he could not walk into the plane, his spokesman said, “Actually what happened was that the President was supposed to leave earlier in the day but because of the holidays in Saudi Arabia they couldn’t procure his visa in time.”

It would be recalled that President Yar’adua, who was in Saudi Arabia last August for medical treatment, hurriedly departed again last Monday for the same country. The trip was not announced in advance and no footage of his departure was shown on television. This probably led to rumours that swept the country from Wednesday evening suggesting that the president died in hospital. Nigerian pilgrims who were in Muna on that day greatly helped the spread of the rumours by sending numerous text messages saying they heard that he died.

This is Yar’adua’s fifth medical trip since mid-2007, when he was PDP’s presidential candidate. In the midst of the campaign, he went to Germany in April that year to seek medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment. Later that year, as president, he seized the opportunity of his attending the G-8 Summit in Germany to seek more treatment. In August last year, Yar’adua went to Saudi Arabia presumably to perform the lesser hajj but ended up spending two weeks in hospital, which led to much furore at home. Last August, he again went to Jeddah, abandoning earlier plans to attend the UN General Assembly session in New York. Even though his current ailment has been declared by the State House to be acute pericarditis, the president was reported by Reuters earlier this week to be suffering from chronic kidney disease.

http://www.news.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10277:the-first-ailment-pericarditis-jonathan-now-in-charge&catid=46:lead-stories&Itemid=140

Na God go save dis our president 4 us ohhhhhhhhhh make God no let him die in the name of Allah

enough of this tune pls.

@ Condom

l hope you wear it in your mouth while talking. u sabi God

Hoteph(M)
y u go talk like that weather i sabi God,i fear God pass u honestly.

lol u funny so u dont become TB Joshua abi, na ur prayer go stop the Man from dying abi? the man wey dey on the way to hell

Bross i beg leave dat stuff.Dis is another suggestion let call TB Joshua to heal our president for us sha he is the great healer of our tine?

God is the ultimate Healer and all power belongs to Him, TB Joshua na just an ordinary magician

No talk like dat oh.Even TB Joshua don talk say our president no approach am 4 healing i be live say some thing can come out of Nazareth

Really condom, i hope you wear your insignia round your mouth?

dis never ending media spin don tire me oh

jonathan started as a deputy gov and later on became acting gov but at the end of the day, he became the gov. now again, he started as the vice president and now acting president, WHO KNOWS WHAT IS NEXT?
pls jonathan, as soon as you become the president, just divide nigeria within 24 hrs.
the word NIGERIA is a marriage with human beings and the devils.
more happy day Joe

If he were to step down or die, he would be replaced by Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan, who is from the country's southern Niger Delta region.

But according to the ruling People's Democratic Party's own formula for sharing power among the country's regions, the president must be a northerner.

Actually what happened was that the President was supposed to leave earlier in the day but because of the holidays in Saudi Arabia they couldn’t procure his visa in time.”
Interesting. Didnt know that presidents wait in line for visas

i think if jonathan should take over for now ,he deserves it because that was why he was elected the vice president

If the President were to step down, the Vice President would become president. However, if the President were to die, fresh elections will be held to get a new president.

Actually what happened was that the President was supposed to leave earlier in the day but because of the holidays in Saudi Arabia they couldn’t procure his visa in time.”

This yeye country, called NIGERIA

Nigeria President procure VISA.

when you dont develop your own country, why wont they make you 'PROCURE VISA' to come to their country.

This is exactly what Venezuela Amb was telling NIGERIA, when he visited this Madam rebrand-Nigeria!

back2back:

Actually what happened was that the President was supposed to leave earlier in the day but because of the holidays in Saudi Arabia they couldn’t procure his visa in time.”

This yeye country, called NIGERIA

Nigeria President procure VISA.

when you dont develop your own country, why wont they make you 'PROCURE VISA' to come to their country.

This is exactly what Venezuela Amb was telling NIGERIA, when he visited this Madam rebrand-Nigeria!

I can't believe you actually believed crap like this when you heard it. . . You even typed "actually"

Hahahahaaha! A new Maradona!! someone lift the title off Babangida and give it to Obasanjo. The real Maradona!!! Good for nothing old fool!

nex:

If the President were to step down, the Vice President would become president. However, if the President were to die, fresh elections will be held to get a new president.

The above statement is not quite accurate. Here's what the constitution states:

The Vice-President shall hold the office of President if the office of President becomes vacant by reason of death or resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity or the removal of the President from office for any other reason in accordance with section 143 of this Constitution

Fresh elections will be held only where the office of the president becomes vacant during a period when the office of Vice-President is also vacant. This could occur if the office of the president becomes vacant and the vice-president resigns .

The President of the Senate shall hold the office of President for a period of not more than three months, during which there shall be an election of a new President, who shall hold office for the unexpired term of office of the last holder of the office.

The constitution also states: Whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President.

If we assume that such transmission was promulgated, then Mr Goodluck is a lucky man indeed.

na wa for wayas

I will wait and see how all these will play out

ndu_chucks - well done.

Further down in the same chapter section 144 states the following:

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; and

            (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.

I don't know why exactly, but I feel a sharp stab in my head at the thought of Jonathan entirely taking over state affairs.

SapeleGuy:

ndu_chucks - well done.

Further down in the same chapter 144 states the following:

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; and

            (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.

   

Sapeleguy, given the make-up of the executive council, I do not believe such a resolution is forthcoming. 

If Goodluck becomes president, under the these possible circumstances, the constitution also gives him the power to handpick the VP with national assembly consent, to serve out the remainder of Yar'Adua's presidency. Goodluck is sitting pretty!   

Truth be told, Yar'dua needs to resign and take care of his health, we only have one life to live.  2011 will be full of drama.

Folks I honestly do not see why a Jonathan Presidency promises anything different from that of Yar'adua, they are two of a kind. Let us all chill and be guided by the constitution at all times.

Jonathan's best traits is handling situations like this. The Jonathan I know will neither politic nor sought to get Yar'adua ousted. Given Nigeria's history and attitude of mistrust that exist I believe this quality will be very helpful to Jonathan at this time.

I don't see the FEC or NASS sacking Yar'adua on medical grounds. But one thing is for sure, if Yar'adua dies or resigns from office. There is no two ways about it. Jonathan Goodluck will be President and there will be nothing Sariki Mukhtar and co will be able to do about it.

However for the sake of negotiation and peace, PDP can reach an agreement that will see Yar'adua resign now to take care of his health while Jonathan finish up his term so that by 2011 a notherner can now run for the party to see off Yar'adua's second term after which power returns to the South.

I think we should be grown up about these things, this is 2009 Nigeria we are talking about not 1967. We have a National Constitution and whatever we do must while considering the political realities on ground respect the sanctity of our constitution.

No need for politics of who is up and who is down, otherwise we will have another catastrophe.

mikeansy:

Folks I honestly do not see why a Jonathan Presidency promises anything different from that of Yar'adua, they are two of a kind. Let us all chill and be guided by the constitution at all times.

Jonathan's best traits is handling situations like this. The Jonathan I know will neither politic nor sought to get Yar'adua ousted. Given Nigeria's history and attitude of mistrust that exist I believe this quality will be very helpful to Jonathan at this time.

I don't see the FEC or NASS sacking Yar'adua on medical grounds. But one thing is for sure, if Yar'adua dies or resigns from office. There is no two ways about it. Jonathan Goodluck will be President and there will be nothing Sariki Mukhtar and co will be able to do about it.

However for the sake of negotiation and peace, PDP can reach an agreement that will see Yar'adua resign now to take care of his health while Jonathan finish up his term so that by 2011 a notherner can now run for the party to see off Yar'adua's second term after which power returns to the South.

I think we should be grown up about these things, this is 2009 Nigeria we are talking about not 1967. We have a National Constitution and whatever we do must while considering the political realities on ground respect the sanctity of our constitution.

No need for politics of who is up and who is down, otherwise we will have another catastrophe.

sounds good.

There is no patrotism in Nigeria. If there was the IBBs, Abdusalamis and Buharis of this world will be at the vanguard of asking Yar'adua to step down so that the Nigeria which they claim to love can move forward.

Either way we look at it, there are complications. If Jonathan takes over now and a northerner comes to power by 2011, the northerner will want 2 use another 8yrs starting 2011.

[size=15pt]you have my prayers[/size]

The constitution allows them to remove yar adua. even the ministers can remove yar adua since he is in the hospital. That is what nigeria constitution says.

becomrich,:

The constitution allows them to remove yar adua. even the ministers can remove yar adua since he is in the hospital. That is what nigeria constitution says.

where did dis dude crawl out from?

[size=14pt]jonathan goodluck your boys are waiting for your first executive decree

Am by your side well well, we need a revolution in Nigeria. Na who talk say presido's must come from two region all the time? Goodluck thank GOD
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