Goodluck Jonathan Demoted Already?

By Olu Jacob and Daniel Momoh (234NEXT)

February 24, 2010 07:34PM
The handlers of the ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua who sneaked him into the country in the wee hours of today have not wasted any time in trying to wrest power from Acting President Goodluck Jonathan.

Unconfirmed reports speak of plans to make him resign if he doesn't toe the line now being drawn by Turai Yar'Adua who is now effectively in charge of the presidency. A number of ministers who were deemed to have been disloyal to Mr Yar'Adua, are also slated to be sacked, and Dora Akunyili is said to be top on that list.

A source in Aso rock confirmed that officials of the State Security Service had this afternoon gone into the office of Mr Jonathan and conducted a thorough search although it is not immediately clear what they were looking for. They were allegedly working under the directives of Mrs Yar'Adua.

Only a few hours after he arrived the country, and while he lies convalescing in a ‘clinic', aides to the President began systematically to divest Mr Jonathan of any opportunity to exercise the powers of the presidency. He has been denied access to the President and to any information that will keep him abreast of the unfolding drama. Sources say he is barely managing to avoid embarrassment as events keep changing around him and he only gets to hear of the changes after they were announced.

As early as 11.31am, while he prepared for the weekly meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation, a security detail entered the chambers and immediately secured the president's chair to prevent Mr Jonathan from sitting on it. Less than one hour later, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Yayale Ahmed announced that the Council meeting has been postponed. Instead, Mr Jonathan was scheduled to have a private meeting with the ministers. That meeting eventually lasted less than 10 minutes and the confusion was evident in the faces of some of the ministers who appeared to be sleep walking .

As part of the process of demoting Mr Jonathan, Presidential spokesperson, Segun Adeniyi has announced that from now on the Acting president will revert back to his previous status of vice President, although he will still need to hold the fort while the President recuperates.

However, there are indications that none of this is happening with Mr Jonathan's consent as he remained locked out of the decision making process. Although no one has come out to say he is under house arrest, sources say after the search of his office, the Acting president was effectively kept apart and the coterie of visitors that has been around him in the last two weeks is no longer evident.

As a sign that Mrs Yar'Adua is now in charge of running the presidency, the Acting President has been scheduled to meet with her this evening, and sources say the fate of Mr Jonathan may depend on how that meeting goes.

US concerns
The United States of America has raised concern over the sudden return of Mr Yar'Adua. A statement from its mission in Abuja today warns that the President's return may create chaos in the nation's polity. According to Johnnie Carson, the US Under-Secretary of State on African Affairs, the US government hopes that, "President Yar'Adua's return to Nigeria is not an effort by his senior advisors to upset Nigeria's stability and create renewed uncertainty in the democratic process."

The statement also touched on the president's health: "We hope that his health is sufficient to enable him to fully resume his official duties," Mr Carson said, adding, "Nigeria needs a strong, healthy, and effective leader to ensure the stability of the country and to manage Nigeria's many political, economic and security challenges."

Some celebrate
Residents of Katsina, the home state of the president, yesterday came out in their thousands to celebrate the return of Mr Yar'Adua from Saudi Arabia. He was flown into the country from Saudi Arabia in an air ambulance Number HZM55A at about 1.47 a.m. yesterday.

Security sources say Mr Yar'Adua was forced to relocate to Nigeria from Saudi Arabia following the decision of the Saudi government to avoid mounting diplomatic crisis.

Status quo
The House of Representatives announced yesterday that it still recognises Mr Jonathan as the Acting President of Nigeria. According to the chairman, Rules and Business, Eta Inang, the status of Mr. Jonathan has not changed. Also, at about 5pm today, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties welcomed the president into the country, but note that the manner of his arrival clearly indicates that he is too incapacitated to rule. However, a statement from the Peoples Democratic Party which also welcomed the President, praised Mr Goodluck Jonathan for holding the fort during the three months of the President's absence.