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Acting President
Goodluck Jonathan will tonight meet with
President Yar'Adua's wife, Turai. This
was disclosed by the minister of
information, Dora Akunyili, after the
meeting between Mr. Jonathan and
ministers, which lasted for less than 10
minutes.
Mrs. Akunyili said,
"He (the Acting President) invited us
for a meeting in his meeting room at 2pm
and when we came he told us that the
president has returned.
"He has been
briefed by the aides of Mr. president
and hopes to see the wife of the
president this evening."
She disclosed that
the Acting President will meet again
with cabinet members "When he is
eventually briefed by our president".
The information
minister also said the cabinet will be
briefed by the ministerial team that
visited Saudi Arabia at next week's
Federal executive Council meeting.
"When we meet next
week, we will be briefed on the outcome
of the Saudi trip by the members of
council "
No mention,
however, was made of the ailing
president's current state of health.
Meanwhile,
principal officers of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday also
met with Mr. Jonathan after efforts to
see the ailing president on his return
to the country failed.
The party
officials, who were led by chairperson
Vincent Ogbulafor, however, declined to
speak with reporters on the motive of
their visit to Mr. Jonathan.
Kwara State
governor Bukola Saraki, and chairperson
of the Nigerian Governors' Forum was
also unable to see Mr. Yar'Adua.
Live
updates - Yar'Adua's return
NEXT
By Elizabeth
Archibong and Terfa Tiley-Gyardo
February 24, 2010
05:43PM
Updates as they
happe
1736 - Security
sources say Mr Yar'Adua was forced to
relocate to Nigeria from Saudi Arabia
following the decision of the Saudi
government to avoid a mounting
diplomatic crisis.
1545 - Michael
Aondoakaa is also scheduled to return
this afternoon.
1530 - The private
meeting has ended and the Minister of
Information gave a very quick briefing
confirming that the Acting President
would indeed be meeting with the first
lady this evening. She dodged the
obvious question of why he is meeting
the first lady and not the President.
1448 - Acting
President Goodluck Jonathan to meet with
First lady Turai Yar’Adua this evening.
The Acting
President Goodluck Jonathan will
continue to run state affairs while
President Umaru Yar'Adua recovers after
three months of medical treatment in
Saudi Arabia, the presidency has
announced.
A statement by
Olusegun Adeniyi, a spokesman for the
presidency said, "President Yar'Adua
wishes to re-assure all Nigerians that
on account of their unceasing prayers
and by the special grace of God, his
health has greatly improved. However,
while the President completes his
recuperation, Vice President Jonathan
will continue to oversee the affairs of
state."
1404 - Statement by
Presidency spokesman, "VP to run state
affairs as President recovers."
1333 - Officials of
the State Security Service (SSS) ransack
office of the Vice-President.
1326 - Unconfirmed
reports quote sources at Aso rock as
saying that the Acting President
Goodluck Jonathan will resign at the 2PM
meeting and some ministers might go with
him.
1245 - Action
Congress says the "mere presence" of the
president is not enough for him to
resume power. Publicity secretary, Lai
Muhammed, says the president must now
write a letter to nation assembly to
announce that he is fit for office.
1239 - Senate
begins third reading of Section 145
ammendement bill. On the same day that
it passed the second reading.
1232 - Army
official detailed to receive president
at airport this morning claims that Mr.
Yar'Adua "walked" into the waiting
ambulance. This is unconfirmed.
1220 - Secretary to
the government of the federation, Yayale
Ahmed, announces that the weekly federal
executive council meeting has been
postponed. The Acting president will
still meet with his cabinet in his
office at 2pm but this will be a private
meeting. No reference made to President
Yar'Adua's health or return. He is not
expected however to attend the meeting
between Goodluck Jonathan and his
cabinet.
1153 - Senate goes
ahead to conclude debate amending
section 145 of the constitution without
any mention of President Yar’Adua’s
return.
1135 - Jonathan is
waiting, trying to avoid embarrassment
by staying away and waiting for the
president who is taking eternity to come
out
1134 - Senate makes
no reference to the president's return
and continues session on amendment of
Section 145 of the Nigerian
constitution. However various groups are
seen fervently huddling together during
recess.
1131 - A security
detail is guarding the president’s chair
to ensure Acting President, Goodluck
Jonathan does not sit on the chair.
♦One hour after the
weekly cabinet meeting of ministers was
supposed to have commenced, there is no
sign that it would hold, as all the
ministers have stayed away.
Neither the Acting
President, Goodluck Jonathan nor his
aides have also turned up. This is very
unusual, as they (the Acting President
and his aides) always keep to time in
past meetings. Mr Jonathan had locked
out some ministers from past meeting for
lateness.
However, aides to
the ailing President, Umaru Yar'Adua who
returned to the country, early this
morning were seen at the chambers. Mr
Yar Adua's (Aide-de-Camp) ADC, Mustapha
Onoedieva
and Chief security
Officer Yusufu Tilde were seen at the
council chambers for a while earlier
today, but they also left.
No presidency
official is willing to talk yet.
President Umaru
Yar'Adua returned to Nigeria early this
morning, and was carried from the
airport in an ambulance. A terse report
on Nigerian Television Authority this
morning said he has been taken to a
‘clinic.'
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