On 23 November, 2009, late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s ill health suddenly worsened and he was flown to Saudi Arabia for emergency medical treatment.
In the months that followed, a small group of aides and advisers, allegedly led by Mr.Yar’Adua’s wife, Turai, used the opportunity to promote their own interests.
The group restricted access to the president and stalled attempts to transfer power from the ailing leader to his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan. Even now, it is unclear how much damage this group, which the minister of information, Dora Akunyili, also railed against in a famous memo, inflicted on the polity and society. As Mr. Jonathan steps up to complete Mr. Yar’Adua’s term, the question remains; what happens to the cabal now?
Mr. Yar’Adua’s frail health was never a secret. In 2007, while campaigning for the presidency, he was hospitalized in Germany for a heart ailment. He also left for a month’s medical leave in 2008. When he returned suddenly, he took immediate action against those perceived to be plotting his downfall while he was away.
Perhaps that was why, when Mr. Yar’Adua took ill last November, his close allies were not worried that he had left without formally handing over power to Mr. Jonathan. They expected it would be one of his brief absences and he would return stronger than ever.
However as the days stretched into weeks, it was soon clear that something terrible had happened to the commander-in-chief, although no one knew what it was. Though NEXT on Sunday had in its January 10 edition exclusively reported that the president was brain-damaged, the cabal deadlocked the government by refusing to disclose the full extent of the his illness.
Mrs. Yar’Adua barred all but an inner core, which included the president’s chief security officer, Mohammed Tilde, and his military aide-de-camp, Mustapha Onoedieva, from access to the president.
Other members of this cabal included Shehu Inuwa Imam, a childhood friend of Mr. Yar’Adua, and member of the House of Representatives from Katsina State; Tanimu Yakubu, the president’s chief economic adviser; Inuwa Baba, the senior private adviser to the president on protocol matters; and Sayyadi Abba Ruma, former agriculture minister.
Constitutional Crisis
The cabal stalled attempts to hand over power to Mr. Jonathan, sparking a constitutional crisis that threatened to topple our fledgling democracy. Michael Aondoakaa, attorney general and justice minister at the time, argued that a president could exercise his authority from anywhere in the world, including his sick bed.
At the same time, Tanimu Yakubu, the president’s chief economic adviser, said the ailing leader was in daily correspondence with Mr. Jonathan, Senate president David Mark; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole.
Other allies of Mr. Yar’Adua, including Mr.Imam and Mr. Ruma, claimed at one point to have spoken with Mr. Yar’Adua.
In the three-month deadlock that ensued, neither the House of Representatives, nor the Senate made any formal moves to make Mr. Jonathan the acting president.
Finally, on January 22, 2010, the supreme court stepped in, giving the government 14 days to declare the president incapacitated and incapable of ruling the country. Mr. Jonathan was subsequently conferred the title of acting president on February 9, 2010.
Political crisis
Fearing their grip on power was weakening, on February 24, 2010, the members of Mr. Yar’Adua’s inner circle sneaked him into Abuja at the wee hours.
Media reports say soldiers from the Brigade of Guards were deployed to Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, where they switched off the power supply, transferred the ailing president to an ambulance, and took him along a route lined with armed sentries to the presidential villa. The acting president was not notified of the return until after the fact.
This dramatic event was easily the most dangerous of the cabal’s acts. For a country that had seen more than its share of military rule, the ruse smacked of a military coup. And what is more frightening, few of the perpetrators of the clandestine exercise have been reprimanded.
Economic Crisis
Another consequence of the cabal’s narrow-mindedness was that the nation’s budget was substantially delayed. Mr. Yar’Adua’s budget proposal was presented on November 24, 2009, but without his signature, ministries and agencies across the country were left in financial limbo.
NEXT investigations revealed that when the president’s secretary, David Edevbie, travelled to Saudi Arabia to get the president to sign the supplementary budget, he was restricted to his hotel. He received a visit from the president’s chief security officer, Mohammed Tilde, who collected the documents and subsequently returned them “signed.”
Beyond what may be the illegal act of possibly forging the president’s signature, the lack of a proper budget destabilised the lives of many ordinary Nigerians, as the government is the nation’s largest employer of skilled labour.
Religious crisis
Finally, the cabal invited a group of Muslim clerics to “pray” for the ailing president. It was one of its most desperate acts, for it followed false reports that Mr. Yar’Adua had recovered enough to make an appearance at Friday prayers at the national mosque on March 26. It rekindled accusations of religious and ethnic bias, an issue that is never far from the surface in the nation’s politics.
Perhaps to make amends, Mrs. Yar’Adua invited Christian religious leaders to visit her husband a week later. However the ruse backfired as leaked reports from the visit painted a grim picture of a man close to death and in terrible pain.
The break-up
Mr. Jonathan managed to disband most members of the cabal when he dissolved the executive council of the federation on April 12, 2010, but powerful members still remain.
For instance, national security adviser, Sarki Muhktar, was replaced by Aliyu Gusau, and Mustapha Onoyvieta will most likely be replaced as the president’s aide-de-camp, but so far none of the other military leaders involved in the ruse have been made to answer for their actions.
The exact reasons why this group of people conducted such an elaborate ruse go beyond just greed and avarice. One can only imagine that a close circle of friends and allies, frightened of losing their grip on power, lost sight of what was most important.
At best, they were misguided loyalists who wanted to preserve the dignity of a man they cared for, at the cost of the nation’s welfare. At worst, they were greedy and cynical power brokers who plunged the nation into chaos to extend their looting of the national treasury. Either way, the damage has been done and the nation is left to stumble towards the next election cycle as best it can.
Of course, in cementing his authority, Mr. Jonathan has brought in his own group.
We can only hope that with these loyalists, the cure is not going to be more dangerous than the disease.
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Reader Comments (37)
Posted by Kpek on May 08 2010
... I share your apprehensions ... we really do not need a 'Jonathan Cabal'; ... that said ... to expand on two matters mentioned in your thesis - The Cabal may now be yesterday's men but perhaps the most active discouragement of such tendencies in the future would be to visit their serial defalcations with considered but grave legal sanction ... ... no matter how long it takes ... it may not be now but it should happen - secondly, and as a related matter, any of those involved in the acts of the near-incredible grandstanding and brinksmanship that brought the nation to the edge of a precipice who are still in the Public Service need to be exorcised from the system ...
Posted by Andrew nwaobasi on May 08 2010
It is not yet uhuru for them, posterity will not forgive them. Watch out they will surely pay for their evil act against humanity.
Posted by Okwy Okpala on May 08 2010
The biggest damage the cabal did is to the image and person of Yaradua. Imagine a dying man isolated from people who could offer him comfort and love and presented as desparate power monger who doesn't care whether Nigeria disintergrates in his bid to hold on power.Yaradua was a good man.May God grant him rest!
Posted by Fola-USA on May 08 2010
So what happened to our 70 billion naira that were fraudulently spent in two months by top aides of the dead Yar'Adua? Are Nigerians to be quiet on this matter like others that were swept under the carpet?
Posted by CountryMan on May 08 2010
obasanjo is a genius...
Posted by CountryMan on May 08 2010
kpek...kpek...they have already paid off gusau...what else do you want...
Posted by lebbystar on May 08 2010
this are the same people that planned and killed Yar Adua and we don't want any of them to come and rule this country again, so somebody like Yayale trying to be VP is not allowed because he himself is among the great bad people that even killed Yar Adua. SO we need Dorotimi Oluwole as the Vice President so that he can assist the President to build a greater naton.
Posted by MauMau on May 09 2010
Yar Dua's aides that you refer to in your story are not the real cabals holding Nigeria to ransom for selfish and greedy reasons. These aides were only protecting their own interests, in a polity where the people you know determines your source of livelihood. Leave these poor aides alone and call out the real cabals. You know them.
Posted by Abiodun on May 09 2010
For all the reasons stated above any cabal ought to pay for its treason against the nation and people.
Posted by Lovevoice on May 09 2010
@ MauMau. Let us start from the known to the unknown. The cabal or aides are not spirits. Nigerian know them, concerning Yar'Adua issues. They are not hiding ... they should be probed and investigated within 2 weeks, the findings published and punished if found guilty. If not, leave them alone to continue with their life of greed and avarice, and the cycle continues! Nigeria we hail thee!
Posted by `Wumi Ayansina on May 09 2010
Let Mr President focus on making this nation work and concentrate on national reformation, forget seven point agenda and pick 2 or 3 and make it work.
Posted by Garba Dangiwa Yahaya on May 09 2010
For Allah sake wount you guys allow our lovely and unforgetable Malam Umaru Musa Yar'adua to rest,he has gone and every body including JONATHAN AND HIS LOYALLIEST MOST DIE we dont know hw their own wll be lt just watch out and see hw Allah wll do to them because they wll never go free for what these witches done to Yar'adua.I pray Allah to grand him Jannatul Firdaus amen.
Posted by Tile Tile on May 09 2010
If Nigeria had strong institutions such matters would not arise and the kabal would know not to attempt it. GJ will end up with a new kabal as that is the culture and mindset of the people, especially in the absence of decent institutions. Fact is that Nigerians have a lot to learn with regards to loyalties and the need for institutions with real powers. The center is too strong and interfering to be a federation, so hopes are still projected to be dashed unless GJ forcefully goes against the tide and radically makes change. A Soverign National Coumcil is a must as so many do not value being in that entity called nigeria with real consultation. If that does not happen, the eventuality is clear for any unsentimental person to see. At this Nigeria remains an entity that is imposed on its people and one part cannot continue to exploit the wealth of the other as it will always eventually lead to a revolt. If it wasn't for the militants and thier inferance with the export of thier own crude oil, GJ would have been blatanly told to pack his things and leave, now.
Posted by Solomon on May 09 2010
Let us move on. The challenges of tommorrow are greater than yesterday's.
Posted by erujeje on May 09 2010
Its a shame that all our journalist are begining to sound like a cracked CD same news item with different headlines there is nothing new in the entire report its only good for the library and not for information UMYA the main actor in this whole movie is dead can we move on to other things please we are tired of saudi arabia, cabal, forged signature etc I have read that in one article or the other more than a 100 times we should focus all our energy on the Lucky man in Abuja who needs to make his mark urgently and this is where we need the press NOW to beam their seachlights and leave umya alone GJ in 3months have done nothing 12 more months to GO what are we talking about here
Posted by Rebel on May 09 2010
@kpek am in full support of ur views for if they are not pubished and seen to be punished this situation will repeat itself in future.
Posted by Rebel on May 09 2010
@ Garba Dangiwa Yahaya i feel ur pains bro but ur guns are pointed in d wrong direction. apparently ur anger against Jonathan is beclouding ur judgment. U should start with Turai [she is d witch truly] and the insensitive cabal that speeded Yar aduas death. I think Musa would have lived longer and diedmore peacefully if Turai had allowed him to resign as he wanted to earlier.
Posted by omenuko.t on May 09 2010
The refrain now is"JOHNY BE GOOD; I hope at the end it would be "JOHNY THE GOOD;
Posted by Bede,vnice italy on May 09 2010
I don't see these people as cabals but rather a bunch of stupid maiopic fools who are just greedy and loved money more than their lives.That is the kind of our so called mature and elderly elites who are qualified to rule in nigeria according to IBB. On the other hand, they are good home movie makers with Turai yar'adua as th producer and director.President jonathan MUST and I repeat MUST make sure that the financial activicties of these rouges from the north are looked into and all the necesssary monies recovered from them.
Posted by George on May 09 2010
Yar'Adua's signature could very well have been forged at the time. I hope one day we'll bring those involved in this bizarre drama to justice.
Posted by Malice on May 09 2010
Presidencies are usually run by cabals, because a President will always have an inner circle of confidants that he relies upon, so that cannot be an issue. What is at issue is that after all is said and done, the President acts in accordance with the rule of law, democratic governance and respect for human rights. Pay no attention to the cabal, just to what comes out of the mouth of the President. He is accountable, his cabal is not. Let us not waste our time over non issues. e&oe
Posted by Malice on May 09 2010
You are right, “Obasanjo is a genius”. He has had his final revenge on the North, and he has achieved what no one thought would ever be possible, a South-South President. But of course, you dolts do not understand what we are talking about. And now, every fool Southerner is trying to truncate the Jonathan presidency. Idiots. All it means is that OBJ laboured in vain to wrestle power away from Northern misrule and mismanagement, since everyone seems determined that INTERIM President Jonathan should hand over to some idiotic Northerner in 2010. May the devil take you all.
Posted by Prof Seun Omotayo on May 09 2010
President Goodluck Jonathan should make the citizens of Nigeria his cabal by meeting them with the dividends of Democracy. He will write his name on the positive side of History if he eradicate POWER CUTS, Improve Education, increase Nigerians confidence in the nations Health Services, rehabilitate the Lagos Ibadan Express Way, Repair the Benin Ore Road, resurface the Abuja- Kaduna raod, reposition sports for youth empowerment and other socio-econmic benefits and commence the Lagos-Abuja bullet train. these are achievable within the next 12months.
Posted by Pros Seun Omotayo on May 09 2010
For security reasons and preservation of our democracy, the President should investigate the circumstances of the smuggling into the country of former President Yar Adua in Feb. Anybody found culpable should be reprimanded the same goes for the clerics who joined in the long decite.
Posted by Malice on May 09 2010
…That should be “some idiotic Northerner in 2011”. Let me support the comments of TILE TILE, since he seems to be the lonely voice in the wilderness in this forum of deceived and browbeaten Southerners. Sovereign National Conference is the only way to go, but the Northerners will never allow it, because they know that their ISLAMIC FEDERATION OF NIGERIA would collapse in an instant, because they know that any Southern nationality sitting in any credible and free Sovereign National conference, would chose independence and voluntarily opt out this ISLAMIC FEDERATION OF NIGERIA. That is why the North has never permitted a National Conference of all of Nigeria's nationalities. If they believe we love each other so much and we want to be in the same godforsaken country, why do they not put it to the test? Bastards. Soon, and very soon, you Southerners will be forced to fight the fight you have been avoiding all these decades, when these Northerners poison Jonathan in the State House. I regret being a citizen of a nation of pusillanimous bastards who have shamelessly submitted to slavery. I weep for “Nigerians.” Imbeciles!
Posted by abeku on May 09 2010
No comment jst siddon look
Posted by zindegi on May 09 2010
i love that cabal. they did a good job
Posted by Wasala on May 09 2010
naa wa for this country o.make una give us too jobs,recruite us into this 'cabal'.Nigeria!where are we goin to wif all these?children schoolin under trees,no nepa,no jobs,no roads,no hospitals,evry thn na just jagajaga.chop make i chop.jo!!!!!!
Posted by Ezu GIDEON KASIE on May 09 2010
Personally speaking Alh. Umaru Yar'Adua was a humble gentleman with impeccable character but his wife made some mistakes by over-protecting her husband during his illness. i wish Dr. Goodluck Well
Posted by Bellerikki London U.K on May 09 2010
These is the beginning of change, for those Nigerians who despair I say hold on. The truth is, all those who knew Yar Adua would attest to his decency and his gentleness, I wont argue with that. The Truth also is Jonathan can match him for same, but additionally Jonathan is more worldly, more adept, more of a strategic performer. I make bold to say that the South-south and the Middle-belt are the best people to rule Nigeria, coming from already mixed societies, we are more tolerant and more proactive in promoting our country, let the Big 3 look and learn as we propel Naija to greater heights
Posted by maiyaki on May 09 2010
If only the late president was able to recover and understand what the cabal's did to him. I am sure the first thing he will do is to lash out against them and sack them. He is such a humble man with so so much respect for the rule of law.
Posted by maiyaki on May 09 2010
If only the late president was able to recover and understand what the cabal's did to him. I am sure the first thing he will do is to lash out against them and sack them. He is such a humble man with so so much respect for the rule of law.May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace AMEN!!!
Posted by ET on May 09 2010
@malice.....So why don't u start the revolution and we all shall follow u................Actions speaks louder than ur words u jackass.....@fola_usa....it is people like u that encourage people like malice to say things like this without any substance.....@malice people like u have come and gone and Nigeria still stands.....Be more patriotic.......Let me know where ur first rally to support change will be and i will meet u there.....odawise shut ur mouth and rot in hell.....I warned u not to insults me in ur response to my comment and that is exactly what u did........Typical idiot.....people like u are just looking for relevance....My question still stands.....How will u solve Nigeria's current problems if u were in Pres Jonathan's position?(Power, corruption, electoral reform education etc....but again i probably shouldn't have asked u cos people like u will never be in such a position.....Thank God for that and keep posting ur comments on next....that's where they will stay and that's where u belong.... PS: This is not Country, Ali or Truck pusher......It is ur worst nightmare..........A Patriotic citizen of Nigeria
Posted by bellerikki london u.k on May 09 2010
I dont understand the yearnings and obsession of the core North to hold on to power at all cost. I make bold to say, that the true leadership of Nigeria is best guranteed by the Middle-belt and the South-south regions, we both come from already mixed societies and hence have a higher threshold for tolerance and liberalism, both regions have contributed immensely the unity and progress of Nigeria, the former through blood and sweat of predominant service in the armed forces, and the latter through sustaining the entire country with its natural resources of oil. The core north's continuous clamour for power is laughable considering how poor and retarded the country was under their rulership. I liken good leadership to our national game.....Football!! the best captain across the history of the game are either midfield players or defenders. they are in the best position to see and read the game than "upnorth "strikers. The core North of Nigeria is absorbed with its self, it is too isolated and constricted by its conservative religion to give us a broad and secular perspective that is needed to progression in this country. So come on President Jonathan, lead us to the promised land.
Posted by G.babe on May 09 2010
@ Garba dangiwa u too harsh.i can see d bitterness in u.abeg takam easy oh no bi Jonathan killam.@ Rebel & bede u quys r all rit. Let Jonathan create employment 4d Youth of dis nation wit dis,evil & corruption wil be reduce.
Posted by Patrick Justus on May 09 2010
Our Late president was a humble guy,but his wife made public spectacle of him.How i wish he could see what his aides and wife did to him.Gods ways is not mans way and his decision is the ultimate.Turai is greedy.
Posted by La babe on May 09 2010
@ Garba dangiwa u too harsh.i can see d bitterness in u.abeg takam easy oh no bi Jonathan killam.@ Rebel ,bede&prof Omotoyo u quys r all rit. Let Jonathan create employment 4d Youth of dis nation wit dis,evil & corruption wil be reduce.
On 23 November, 2009, late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s ill health suddenly worsened and he was flown to Saudi Arabia for emergency medical treatment.
In the months that followed, a small group of aides and advisers, allegedly led by Mr.Yar’Adua’s wife, Turai, used the opportunity to promote their own interests.
The group restricted access to the president and stalled attempts to transfer power from the ailing leader to his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan. Even now, it is unclear how much damage this group, which the minister of information, Dora Akunyili, also railed against in a famous memo, inflicted on the polity and society. As Mr. Jonathan steps up to complete Mr. Yar’Adua’s term, the question remains; what happens to the cabal now?
Mr. Yar’Adua’s frail health was never a secret. In 2007, while campaigning for the presidency, he was hospitalized in Germany for a heart ailment. He also left for a month’s medical leave in 2008. When he returned suddenly, he took immediate action against those perceived to be plotting his downfall while he was away.
Perhaps that was why, when Mr. Yar’Adua took ill last November, his close allies were not worried that he had left without formally handing over power to Mr. Jonathan. They expected it would be one of his brief absences and he would return stronger than ever.
However as the days stretched into weeks, it was soon clear that something terrible had happened to the commander-in-chief, although no one knew what it was. Though NEXT on Sunday had in its January 10 edition exclusively reported that the president was brain-damaged, the cabal deadlocked the government by refusing to disclose the full extent of the his illness.
Mrs. Yar’Adua barred all but an inner core, which included the president’s chief security officer, Mohammed Tilde, and his military aide-de-camp, Mustapha Onoedieva, from access to the president.
Other members of this cabal included Shehu Inuwa Imam, a childhood friend of Mr. Yar’Adua, and member of the House of Representatives from Katsina State; Tanimu Yakubu, the president’s chief economic adviser; Inuwa Baba, the senior private adviser to the president on protocol matters; and Sayyadi Abba Ruma, former agriculture minister.
Constitutional Crisis
The cabal stalled attempts to hand over power to Mr. Jonathan, sparking a constitutional crisis that threatened to topple our fledgling democracy. Michael Aondoakaa, attorney general and justice minister at the time, argued that a president could exercise his authority from anywhere in the world, including his sick bed.
At the same time, Tanimu Yakubu, the president’s chief economic adviser, said the ailing leader was in daily correspondence with Mr. Jonathan, Senate president David Mark; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole.
Other allies of Mr. Yar’Adua, including Mr.Imam and Mr. Ruma, claimed at one point to have spoken with Mr. Yar’Adua.
In the three-month deadlock that ensued, neither the House of Representatives, nor the Senate made any formal moves to make Mr. Jonathan the acting president.
Finally, on January 22, 2010, the supreme court stepped in, giving the government 14 days to declare the president incapacitated and incapable of ruling the country. Mr. Jonathan was subsequently conferred the title of acting president on February 9, 2010.
Political crisis
Fearing their grip on power was weakening, on February 24, 2010, the members of Mr. Yar’Adua’s inner circle sneaked him into Abuja at the wee hours.
Media reports say soldiers from the Brigade of Guards were deployed to Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, where they switched off the power supply, transferred the ailing president to an ambulance, and took him along a route lined with armed sentries to the presidential villa. The acting president was not notified of the return until after the fact.
This dramatic event was easily the most dangerous of the cabal’s acts. For a country that had seen more than its share of military rule, the ruse smacked of a military coup. And what is more frightening, few of the perpetrators of the clandestine exercise have been reprimanded.
Economic Crisis
Another consequence of the cabal’s narrow-mindedness was that the nation’s budget was substantially delayed. Mr. Yar’Adua’s budget proposal was presented on November 24, 2009, but without his signature, ministries and agencies across the country were left in financial limbo.
NEXT investigations revealed that when the president’s secretary, David Edevbie, travelled to Saudi Arabia to get the president to sign the supplementary budget, he was restricted to his hotel. He received a visit from the president’s chief security officer, Mohammed Tilde, who collected the documents and subsequently returned them “signed.”
Beyond what may be the illegal act of possibly forging the president’s signature, the lack of a proper budget destabilised the lives of many ordinary Nigerians, as the government is the nation’s largest employer of skilled labour.
Religious crisis
Finally, the cabal invited a group of Muslim clerics to “pray” for the ailing president. It was one of its most desperate acts, for it followed false reports that Mr. Yar’Adua had recovered enough to make an appearance at Friday prayers at the national mosque on March 26. It rekindled accusations of religious and ethnic bias, an issue that is never far from the surface in the nation’s politics.
Perhaps to make amends, Mrs. Yar’Adua invited Christian religious leaders to visit her husband a week later. However the ruse backfired as leaked reports from the visit painted a grim picture of a man close to death and in terrible pain.
The break-up
Mr. Jonathan managed to disband most members of the cabal when he dissolved the executive council of the federation on April 12, 2010, but powerful members still remain.
For instance, national security adviser, Sarki Muhktar, was replaced by Aliyu Gusau, and Mustapha Onoyvieta will most likely be replaced as the president’s aide-de-camp, but so far none of the other military leaders involved in the ruse have been made to answer for their actions.
The exact reasons why this group of people conducted such an elaborate ruse go beyond just greed and avarice. One can only imagine that a close circle of friends and allies, frightened of losing their grip on power, lost sight of what was most important.
At best, they were misguided loyalists who wanted to preserve the dignity of a man they cared for, at the cost of the nation’s welfare. At worst, they were greedy and cynical power brokers who plunged the nation into chaos to extend their looting of the national treasury. Either way, the damage has been done and the nation is left to stumble towards the next election cycle as best it can.
Of course, in cementing his authority, Mr. Jonathan has brought in his own group.
We can only hope that with these loyalists, the cure is not going to be more dangerous than the disease.
Back
Dear Reader.
While we value your feedback we may block inappropriate comment. Please feel free to respond to new comments. Note also that 234NEXT bears no responsibility for what readers post and is not liable for any form of impersonation.
Reader Comments (37)
Posted by Kpek on May 08 2010
... I share your apprehensions ... we really do not need a 'Jonathan Cabal'; ... that said ... to expand on two matters mentioned in your thesis - The Cabal may now be yesterday's men but perhaps the most active discouragement of such tendencies in the future would be to visit their serial defalcations with considered but grave legal sanction ... ... no matter how long it takes ... it may not be now but it should happen - secondly, and as a related matter, any of those involved in the acts of the near-incredible grandstanding and brinksmanship that brought the nation to the edge of a precipice who are still in the Public Service need to be exorcised from the system ...
Posted by Andrew nwaobasi on May 08 2010
It is not yet uhuru for them, posterity will not forgive them. Watch out they will surely pay for their evil act against humanity.
Posted by Okwy Okpala on May 08 2010
The biggest damage the cabal did is to the image and person of Yaradua. Imagine a dying man isolated from people who could offer him comfort and love and presented as desparate power monger who doesn't care whether Nigeria disintergrates in his bid to hold on power.Yaradua was a good man.May God grant him rest!
Posted by Fola-USA on May 08 2010
So what happened to our 70 billion naira that were fraudulently spent in two months by top aides of the dead Yar'Adua? Are Nigerians to be quiet on this matter like others that were swept under the carpet?
Posted by CountryMan on May 08 2010
obasanjo is a genius...
Posted by CountryMan on May 08 2010
kpek...kpek...they have already paid off gusau...what else do you want...
Posted by lebbystar on May 08 2010
this are the same people that planned and killed Yar Adua and we don't want any of them to come and rule this country again, so somebody like Yayale trying to be VP is not allowed because he himself is among the great bad people that even killed Yar Adua. SO we need Dorotimi Oluwole as the Vice President so that he can assist the President to build a greater naton.
Posted by MauMau on May 09 2010
Yar Dua's aides that you refer to in your story are not the real cabals holding Nigeria to ransom for selfish and greedy reasons. These aides were only protecting their own interests, in a polity where the people you know determines your source of livelihood. Leave these poor aides alone and call out the real cabals. You know them.
Posted by Abiodun on May 09 2010
For all the reasons stated above any cabal ought to pay for its treason against the nation and people.
Posted by Lovevoice on May 09 2010
@ MauMau. Let us start from the known to the unknown. The cabal or aides are not spirits. Nigerian know them, concerning Yar'Adua issues. They are not hiding ... they should be probed and investigated within 2 weeks, the findings published and punished if found guilty. If not, leave them alone to continue with their life of greed and avarice, and the cycle continues! Nigeria we hail thee!
Posted by `Wumi Ayansina on May 09 2010
Let Mr President focus on making this nation work and concentrate on national reformation, forget seven point agenda and pick 2 or 3 and make it work.
Posted by Garba Dangiwa Yahaya on May 09 2010
For Allah sake wount you guys allow our lovely and unforgetable Malam Umaru Musa Yar'adua to rest,he has gone and every body including JONATHAN AND HIS LOYALLIEST MOST DIE we dont know hw their own wll be lt just watch out and see hw Allah wll do to them because they wll never go free for what these witches done to Yar'adua.I pray Allah to grand him Jannatul Firdaus amen.
Posted by Tile Tile on May 09 2010
If Nigeria had strong institutions such matters would not arise and the kabal would know not to attempt it. GJ will end up with a new kabal as that is the culture and mindset of the people, especially in the absence of decent institutions. Fact is that Nigerians have a lot to learn with regards to loyalties and the need for institutions with real powers. The center is too strong and interfering to be a federation, so hopes are still projected to be dashed unless GJ forcefully goes against the tide and radically makes change. A Soverign National Coumcil is a must as so many do not value being in that entity called nigeria with real consultation. If that does not happen, the eventuality is clear for any unsentimental person to see. At this Nigeria remains an entity that is imposed on its people and one part cannot continue to exploit the wealth of the other as it will always eventually lead to a revolt. If it wasn't for the militants and thier inferance with the export of thier own crude oil, GJ would have been blatanly told to pack his things and leave, now.
Posted by Solomon on May 09 2010
Let us move on. The challenges of tommorrow are greater than yesterday's.
Posted by erujeje on May 09 2010
Its a shame that all our journalist are begining to sound like a cracked CD same news item with different headlines there is nothing new in the entire report its only good for the library and not for information UMYA the main actor in this whole movie is dead can we move on to other things please we are tired of saudi arabia, cabal, forged signature etc I have read that in one article or the other more than a 100 times we should focus all our energy on the Lucky man in Abuja who needs to make his mark urgently and this is where we need the press NOW to beam their seachlights and leave umya alone GJ in 3months have done nothing 12 more months to GO what are we talking about here
Posted by Rebel on May 09 2010
@kpek am in full support of ur views for if they are not pubished and seen to be punished this situation will repeat itself in future.
Posted by Rebel on May 09 2010
@ Garba Dangiwa Yahaya i feel ur pains bro but ur guns are pointed in d wrong direction. apparently ur anger against Jonathan is beclouding ur judgment. U should start with Turai [she is d witch truly] and the insensitive cabal that speeded Yar aduas death. I think Musa would have lived longer and diedmore peacefully if Turai had allowed him to resign as he wanted to earlier.
Posted by omenuko.t on May 09 2010
The refrain now is"JOHNY BE GOOD; I hope at the end it would be "JOHNY THE GOOD;
Posted by Bede,vnice italy on May 09 2010
I don't see these people as cabals but rather a bunch of stupid maiopic fools who are just greedy and loved money more than their lives.That is the kind of our so called mature and elderly elites who are qualified to rule in nigeria according to IBB. On the other hand, they are good home movie makers with Turai yar'adua as th producer and director.President jonathan MUST and I repeat MUST make sure that the financial activicties of these rouges from the north are looked into and all the necesssary monies recovered from them.
Posted by George on May 09 2010
Yar'Adua's signature could very well have been forged at the time. I hope one day we'll bring those involved in this bizarre drama to justice.
Posted by Malice on May 09 2010
Presidencies are usually run by cabals, because a President will always have an inner circle of confidants that he relies upon, so that cannot be an issue. What is at issue is that after all is said and done, the President acts in accordance with the rule of law, democratic governance and respect for human rights. Pay no attention to the cabal, just to what comes out of the mouth of the President. He is accountable, his cabal is not. Let us not waste our time over non issues. e&oe
Posted by Malice on May 09 2010
You are right, “Obasanjo is a genius”. He has had his final revenge on the North, and he has achieved what no one thought would ever be possible, a South-South President. But of course, you dolts do not understand what we are talking about. And now, every fool Southerner is trying to truncate the Jonathan presidency. Idiots. All it means is that OBJ laboured in vain to wrestle power away from Northern misrule and mismanagement, since everyone seems determined that INTERIM President Jonathan should hand over to some idiotic Northerner in 2010. May the devil take you all.
Posted by Prof Seun Omotayo on May 09 2010
President Goodluck Jonathan should make the citizens of Nigeria his cabal by meeting them with the dividends of Democracy. He will write his name on the positive side of History if he eradicate POWER CUTS, Improve Education, increase Nigerians confidence in the nations Health Services, rehabilitate the Lagos Ibadan Express Way, Repair the Benin Ore Road, resurface the Abuja- Kaduna raod, reposition sports for youth empowerment and other socio-econmic benefits and commence the Lagos-Abuja bullet train. these are achievable within the next 12months.
Posted by Pros Seun Omotayo on May 09 2010
For security reasons and preservation of our democracy, the President should investigate the circumstances of the smuggling into the country of former President Yar Adua in Feb. Anybody found culpable should be reprimanded the same goes for the clerics who joined in the long decite.
Posted by Malice on May 09 2010
…That should be “some idiotic Northerner in 2011”. Let me support the comments of TILE TILE, since he seems to be the lonely voice in the wilderness in this forum of deceived and browbeaten Southerners. Sovereign National Conference is the only way to go, but the Northerners will never allow it, because they know that their ISLAMIC FEDERATION OF NIGERIA would collapse in an instant, because they know that any Southern nationality sitting in any credible and free Sovereign National conference, would chose independence and voluntarily opt out this ISLAMIC FEDERATION OF NIGERIA. That is why the North has never permitted a National Conference of all of Nigeria's nationalities. If they believe we love each other so much and we want to be in the same godforsaken country, why do they not put it to the test? Bastards. Soon, and very soon, you Southerners will be forced to fight the fight you have been avoiding all these decades, when these Northerners poison Jonathan in the State House. I regret being a citizen of a nation of pusillanimous bastards who have shamelessly submitted to slavery. I weep for “Nigerians.” Imbeciles!
Posted by abeku on May 09 2010
No comment jst siddon look
Posted by zindegi on May 09 2010
i love that cabal. they did a good job
Posted by Wasala on May 09 2010
naa wa for this country o.make una give us too jobs,recruite us into this 'cabal'.Nigeria!where are we goin to wif all these?children schoolin under trees,no nepa,no jobs,no roads,no hospitals,evry thn na just jagajaga.chop make i chop.jo!!!!!!
Posted by Ezu GIDEON KASIE on May 09 2010
Personally speaking Alh. Umaru Yar'Adua was a humble gentleman with impeccable character but his wife made some mistakes by over-protecting her husband during his illness. i wish Dr. Goodluck Well
Posted by Bellerikki London U.K on May 09 2010
These is the beginning of change, for those Nigerians who despair I say hold on. The truth is, all those who knew Yar Adua would attest to his decency and his gentleness, I wont argue with that. The Truth also is Jonathan can match him for same, but additionally Jonathan is more worldly, more adept, more of a strategic performer. I make bold to say that the South-south and the Middle-belt are the best people to rule Nigeria, coming from already mixed societies, we are more tolerant and more proactive in promoting our country, let the Big 3 look and learn as we propel Naija to greater heights
Posted by maiyaki on May 09 2010
If only the late president was able to recover and understand what the cabal's did to him. I am sure the first thing he will do is to lash out against them and sack them. He is such a humble man with so so much respect for the rule of law.
Posted by maiyaki on May 09 2010
If only the late president was able to recover and understand what the cabal's did to him. I am sure the first thing he will do is to lash out against them and sack them. He is such a humble man with so so much respect for the rule of law.May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace AMEN!!!
Posted by ET on May 09 2010
@malice.....So why don't u start the revolution and we all shall follow u................Actions speaks louder than ur words u jackass.....@fola_usa....it is people like u that encourage people like malice to say things like this without any substance.....@malice people like u have come and gone and Nigeria still stands.....Be more patriotic.......Let me know where ur first rally to support change will be and i will meet u there.....odawise shut ur mouth and rot in hell.....I warned u not to insults me in ur response to my comment and that is exactly what u did........Typical idiot.....people like u are just looking for relevance....My question still stands.....How will u solve Nigeria's current problems if u were in Pres Jonathan's position?(Power, corruption, electoral reform education etc....but again i probably shouldn't have asked u cos people like u will never be in such a position.....Thank God for that and keep posting ur comments on next....that's where they will stay and that's where u belong.... PS: This is not Country, Ali or Truck pusher......It is ur worst nightmare..........A Patriotic citizen of Nigeria
Posted by bellerikki london u.k on May 09 2010
I dont understand the yearnings and obsession of the core North to hold on to power at all cost. I make bold to say, that the true leadership of Nigeria is best guranteed by the Middle-belt and the South-south regions, we both come from already mixed societies and hence have a higher threshold for tolerance and liberalism, both regions have contributed immensely the unity and progress of Nigeria, the former through blood and sweat of predominant service in the armed forces, and the latter through sustaining the entire country with its natural resources of oil. The core north's continuous clamour for power is laughable considering how poor and retarded the country was under their rulership. I liken good leadership to our national game.....Football!! the best captain across the history of the game are either midfield players or defenders. they are in the best position to see and read the game than "upnorth "strikers. The core North of Nigeria is absorbed with its self, it is too isolated and constricted by its conservative religion to give us a broad and secular perspective that is needed to progression in this country. So come on President Jonathan, lead us to the promised land.
Posted by G.babe on May 09 2010
@ Garba dangiwa u too harsh.i can see d bitterness in u.abeg takam easy oh no bi Jonathan killam.@ Rebel & bede u quys r all rit. Let Jonathan create employment 4d Youth of dis nation wit dis,evil & corruption wil be reduce.
Posted by Patrick Justus on May 09 2010
Our Late president was a humble guy,but his wife made public spectacle of him.How i wish he could see what his aides and wife did to him.Gods ways is not mans way and his decision is the ultimate.Turai is greedy.
Posted by La babe on May 09 2010
@ Garba dangiwa u too harsh.i can see d bitterness in u.abeg takam easy oh no bi Jonathan killam.@ Rebel ,bede&prof Omotoyo u quys r all rit. Let Jonathan create employment 4d Youth of dis nation wit dis,evil & corruption wil be reduce.
On 23 November, 2009, late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s ill health suddenly worsened and he was flown to Saudi Arabia for emergency medical treatment.
In the months that followed, a small group of aides and advisers, allegedly led by Mr.Yar’Adua’s wife, Turai, used the opportunity to promote their own interests.
The group restricted access to the president and stalled attempts to transfer power from the ailing leader to his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan. Even now, it is unclear how much damage this group, which the minister of information, Dora Akunyili, also railed against in a famous memo, inflicted on the polity and society. As Mr. Jonathan steps up to complete Mr. Yar’Adua’s term, the question remains; what happens to the cabal now?
Mr. Yar’Adua’s frail health was never a secret. In 2007, while campaigning for the presidency, he was hospitalized in Germany for a heart ailment. He also left for a month’s medical leave in 2008. When he returned suddenly, he took immediate action against those perceived to be plotting his downfall while he was away.
Perhaps that was why, when Mr. Yar’Adua took ill last November, his close allies were not worried that he had left without formally handing over power to Mr. Jonathan. They expected it would be one of his brief absences and he would return stronger than ever.
However as the days stretched into weeks, it was soon clear that something terrible had happened to the commander-in-chief, although no one knew what it was. Though NEXT on Sunday had in its January 10 edition exclusively reported that the president was brain-damaged, the cabal deadlocked the government by refusing to disclose the full extent of the his illness.
Mrs. Yar’Adua barred all but an inner core, which included the president’s chief security officer, Mohammed Tilde, and his military aide-de-camp, Mustapha Onoedieva, from access to the president.
Other members of this cabal included Shehu Inuwa Imam, a childhood friend of Mr. Yar’Adua, and member of the House of Representatives from Katsina State; Tanimu Yakubu, the president’s chief economic adviser; Inuwa Baba, the senior private adviser to the president on protocol matters; and Sayyadi Abba Ruma, former agriculture minister.
Constitutional Crisis
The cabal stalled attempts to hand over power to Mr. Jonathan, sparking a constitutional crisis that threatened to topple our fledgling democracy. Michael Aondoakaa, attorney general and justice minister at the time, argued that a president could exercise his authority from anywhere in the world, including his sick bed.
At the same time, Tanimu Yakubu, the president’s chief economic adviser, said the ailing leader was in daily correspondence with Mr. Jonathan, Senate president David Mark; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole.
Other allies of Mr. Yar’Adua, including Mr.Imam and Mr. Ruma, claimed at one point to have spoken with Mr. Yar’Adua.
In the three-month deadlock that ensued, neither the House of Representatives, nor the Senate made any formal moves to make Mr. Jonathan the acting president.
Finally, on January 22, 2010, the supreme court stepped in, giving the government 14 days to declare the president incapacitated and incapable of ruling the country. Mr. Jonathan was subsequently conferred the title of acting president on February 9, 2010.
Political crisis
Fearing their grip on power was weakening, on February 24, 2010, the members of Mr. Yar’Adua’s inner circle sneaked him into Abuja at the wee hours.
Media reports say soldiers from the Brigade of Guards were deployed to Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, where they switched off the power supply, transferred the ailing president to an ambulance, and took him along a route lined with armed sentries to the presidential villa. The acting president was not notified of the return until after the fact.
This dramatic event was easily the most dangerous of the cabal’s acts. For a country that had seen more than its share of military rule, the ruse smacked of a military coup. And what is more frightening, few of the perpetrators of the clandestine exercise have been reprimanded.
Economic Crisis
Another consequence of the cabal’s narrow-mindedness was that the nation’s budget was substantially delayed. Mr. Yar’Adua’s budget proposal was presented on November 24, 2009, but without his signature, ministries and agencies across the country were left in financial limbo.
NEXT investigations revealed that when the president’s secretary, David Edevbie, travelled to Saudi Arabia to get the president to sign the supplementary budget, he was restricted to his hotel. He received a visit from the president’s chief security officer, Mohammed Tilde, who collected the documents and subsequently returned them “signed.”
Beyond what may be the illegal act of possibly forging the president’s signature, the lack of a proper budget destabilised the lives of many ordinary Nigerians, as the government is the nation’s largest employer of skilled labour.
Religious crisis
Finally, the cabal invited a group of Muslim clerics to “pray” for the ailing president. It was one of its most desperate acts, for it followed false reports that Mr. Yar’Adua had recovered enough to make an appearance at Friday prayers at the national mosque on March 26. It rekindled accusations of religious and ethnic bias, an issue that is never far from the surface in the nation’s politics.
Perhaps to make amends, Mrs. Yar’Adua invited Christian religious leaders to visit her husband a week later. However the ruse backfired as leaked reports from the visit painted a grim picture of a man close to death and in terrible pain.
The break-up
Mr. Jonathan managed to disband most members of the cabal when he dissolved the executive council of the federation on April 12, 2010, but powerful members still remain.
For instance, national security adviser, Sarki Muhktar, was replaced by Aliyu Gusau, and Mustapha Onoyvieta will most likely be replaced as the president’s aide-de-camp, but so far none of the other military leaders involved in the ruse have been made to answer for their actions.
The exact reasons why this group of people conducted such an elaborate ruse go beyond just greed and avarice. One can only imagine that a close circle of friends and allies, frightened of losing their grip on power, lost sight of what was most important.
At best, they were misguided loyalists who wanted to preserve the dignity of a man they cared for, at the cost of the nation’s welfare. At worst, they were greedy and cynical power brokers who plunged the nation into chaos to extend their looting of the national treasury. Either way, the damage has been done and the nation is left to stumble towards the next election cycle as best it can.
Of course, in cementing his authority, Mr. Jonathan has brought in his own group.
We can only hope that with these loyalists, the cure is not going to be more dangerous than the disease.
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Reader Comments (37)
Posted by Kpek on May 08 2010
... I share your apprehensions ... we really do not need a 'Jonathan Cabal'; ... that said ... to expand on two matters mentioned in your thesis - The Cabal may now be yesterday's men but perhaps the most active discouragement of such tendencies in the future would be to visit their serial defalcations with considered but grave legal sanction ... ... no matter how long it takes ... it may not be now but it should happen - secondly, and as a related matter, any of those involved in the acts of the near-incredible grandstanding and brinksmanship that brought the nation to the edge of a precipice who are still in the Public Service need to be exorcised from the system ...
Posted by Andrew nwaobasi on May 08 2010
It is not yet uhuru for them, posterity will not forgive them. Watch out they will surely pay for their evil act against humanity.
Posted by Okwy Okpala on May 08 2010
The biggest damage the cabal did is to the image and person of Yaradua. Imagine a dying man isolated from people who could offer him comfort and love and presented as desparate power monger who doesn't care whether Nigeria disintergrates in his bid to hold on power.Yaradua was a good man.May God grant him rest!
Posted by Fola-USA on May 08 2010
So what happened to our 70 billion naira that were fraudulently spent in two months by top aides of the dead Yar'Adua? Are Nigerians to be quiet on this matter like others that were swept under the carpet?
Posted by CountryMan on May 08 2010
obasanjo is a genius...
Posted by CountryMan on May 08 2010
kpek...kpek...they have already paid off gusau...what else do you want...
Posted by lebbystar on May 08 2010
this are the same people that planned and killed Yar Adua and we don't want any of them to come and rule this country again, so somebody like Yayale trying to be VP is not allowed because he himself is among the great bad people that even killed Yar Adua. SO we need Dorotimi Oluwole as the Vice President so that he can assist the President to build a greater naton.
Posted by MauMau on May 09 2010
Yar Dua's aides that you refer to in your story are not the real cabals holding Nigeria to ransom for selfish and greedy reasons. These aides were only protecting their own interests, in a polity where the people you know determines your source of livelihood. Leave these poor aides alone and call out the real cabals. You know them.
Posted by Abiodun on May 09 2010
For all the reasons stated above any cabal ought to pay for its treason against the nation and people.
Posted by Lovevoice on May 09 2010
@ MauMau. Let us start from the known to the unknown. The cabal or aides are not spirits. Nigerian know them, concerning Yar'Adua issues. They are not hiding ... they should be probed and investigated within 2 weeks, the findings published and punished if found guilty. If not, leave them alone to continue with their life of greed and avarice, and the cycle continues! Nigeria we hail thee!
Posted by `Wumi Ayansina on May 09 2010
Let Mr President focus on making this nation work and concentrate on national reformation, forget seven point agenda and pick 2 or 3 and make it work.
Posted by Garba Dangiwa Yahaya on May 09 2010
For Allah sake wount you guys allow our lovely and unforgetable Malam Umaru Musa Yar'adua to rest,he has gone and every body including JONATHAN AND HIS LOYALLIEST MOST DIE we dont know hw their own wll be lt just watch out and see hw Allah wll do to them because they wll never go free for what these witches done to Yar'adua.I pray Allah to grand him Jannatul Firdaus amen.
Posted by Tile Tile on May 09 2010
If Nigeria had strong institutions such matters would not arise and the kabal would know not to attempt it. GJ will end up with a new kabal as that is the culture and mindset of the people, especially in the absence of decent institutions. Fact is that Nigerians have a lot to learn with regards to loyalties and the need for institutions with real powers. The center is too strong and interfering to be a federation, so hopes are still projected to be dashed unless GJ forcefully goes against the tide and radically makes change. A Soverign National Coumcil is a must as so many do not value being in that entity called nigeria with real consultation. If that does not happen, the eventuality is clear for any unsentimental person to see. At this Nigeria remains an entity that is imposed on its people and one part cannot continue to exploit the wealth of the other as it will always eventually lead to a revolt. If it wasn't for the militants and thier inferance with the export of thier own crude oil, GJ would have been blatanly told to pack his things and leave, now.
Posted by Solomon on May 09 2010
Let us move on. The challenges of tommorrow are greater than yesterday's.
Posted by erujeje on May 09 2010
Its a shame that all our journalist are begining to sound like a cracked CD same news item with different headlines there is nothing new in the entire report its only good for the library and not for information UMYA the main actor in this whole movie is dead can we move on to other things please we are tired of saudi arabia, cabal, forged signature etc I have read that in one article or the other more than a 100 times we should focus all our energy on the Lucky man in Abuja who needs to make his mark urgently and this is where we need the press NOW to beam their seachlights and leave umya alone GJ in 3months have done nothing 12 more months to GO what are we talking about here
Posted by Rebel on May 09 2010
@kpek am in full support of ur views for if they are not pubished and seen to be punished this situation will repeat itself in future.
Posted by Rebel on May 09 2010
@ Garba Dangiwa Yahaya i feel ur pains bro but ur guns are pointed in d wrong direction. apparently ur anger against Jonathan is beclouding ur judgment. U should start with Turai [she is d witch truly] and the insensitive cabal that speeded Yar aduas death. I think Musa would have lived longer and diedmore peacefully if Turai had allowed him to resign as he wanted to earlier.
Posted by omenuko.t on May 09 2010
The refrain now is"JOHNY BE GOOD; I hope at the end it would be "JOHNY THE GOOD;
Posted by Bede,vnice italy on May 09 2010
I don't see these people as cabals but rather a bunch of stupid maiopic fools who are just greedy and loved money more than their lives.That is the kind of our so called mature and elderly elites who are qualified to rule in nigeria according to IBB. On the other hand, they are good home movie makers with Turai yar'adua as th producer and director.President jonathan MUST and I repeat MUST make sure that the financial activicties of these rouges from the north are looked into and all the necesssary monies recovered from them.
Posted by George on May 09 2010
Yar'Adua's signature could very well have been forged at the time. I hope one day we'll bring those involved in this bizarre drama to justice.
Posted by Malice on May 09 2010
Presidencies are usually run by cabals, because a President will always have an inner circle of confidants that he relies upon, so that cannot be an issue. What is at issue is that after all is said and done, the President acts in accordance with the rule of law, democratic governance and respect for human rights. Pay no attention to the cabal, just to what comes out of the mouth of the President. He is accountable, his cabal is not. Let us not waste our time over non issues. e&oe
Posted by Malice on May 09 2010
You are right, “Obasanjo is a genius”. He has had his final revenge on the North, and he has achieved what no one thought would ever be possible, a South-South President. But of course, you dolts do not understand what we are talking about. And now, every fool Southerner is trying to truncate the Jonathan presidency. Idiots. All it means is that OBJ laboured in vain to wrestle power away from Northern misrule and mismanagement, since everyone seems determined that INTERIM President Jonathan should hand over to some idiotic Northerner in 2010. May the devil take you all.
Posted by Prof Seun Omotayo on May 09 2010
President Goodluck Jonathan should make the citizens of Nigeria his cabal by meeting them with the dividends of Democracy. He will write his name on the positive side of History if he eradicate POWER CUTS, Improve Education, increase Nigerians confidence in the nations Health Services, rehabilitate the Lagos Ibadan Express Way, Repair the Benin Ore Road, resurface the Abuja- Kaduna raod, reposition sports for youth empowerment and other socio-econmic benefits and commence the Lagos-Abuja bullet train. these are achievable within the next 12months.
Posted by Pros Seun Omotayo on May 09 2010
For security reasons and preservation of our democracy, the President should investigate the circumstances of the smuggling into the country of former President Yar Adua in Feb. Anybody found culpable should be reprimanded the same goes for the clerics who joined in the long decite.
Posted by Malice on May 09 2010
…That should be “some idiotic Northerner in 2011”. Let me support the comments of TILE TILE, since he seems to be the lonely voice in the wilderness in this forum of deceived and browbeaten Southerners. Sovereign National Conference is the only way to go, but the Northerners will never allow it, because they know that their ISLAMIC FEDERATION OF NIGERIA would collapse in an instant, because they know that any Southern nationality sitting in any credible and free Sovereign National conference, would chose independence and voluntarily opt out this ISLAMIC FEDERATION OF NIGERIA. That is why the North has never permitted a National Conference of all of Nigeria's nationalities. If they believe we love each other so much and we want to be in the same godforsaken country, why do they not put it to the test? Bastards. Soon, and very soon, you Southerners will be forced to fight the fight you have been avoiding all these decades, when these Northerners poison Jonathan in the State House. I regret being a citizen of a nation of pusillanimous bastards who have shamelessly submitted to slavery. I weep for “Nigerians.” Imbeciles!
Posted by abeku on May 09 2010
No comment jst siddon look
Posted by zindegi on May 09 2010
i love that cabal. they did a good job
Posted by Wasala on May 09 2010
naa wa for this country o.make una give us too jobs,recruite us into this 'cabal'.Nigeria!where are we goin to wif all these?children schoolin under trees,no nepa,no jobs,no roads,no hospitals,evry thn na just jagajaga.chop make i chop.jo!!!!!!
Posted by Ezu GIDEON KASIE on May 09 2010
Personally speaking Alh. Umaru Yar'Adua was a humble gentleman with impeccable character but his wife made some mistakes by over-protecting her husband during his illness. i wish Dr. Goodluck Well
Posted by Bellerikki London U.K on May 09 2010
These is the beginning of change, for those Nigerians who despair I say hold on. The truth is, all those who knew Yar Adua would attest to his decency and his gentleness, I wont argue with that. The Truth also is Jonathan can match him for same, but additionally Jonathan is more worldly, more adept, more of a strategic performer. I make bold to say that the South-south and the Middle-belt are the best people to rule Nigeria, coming from already mixed societies, we are more tolerant and more proactive in promoting our country, let the Big 3 look and learn as we propel Naija to greater heights
Posted by maiyaki on May 09 2010
If only the late president was able to recover and understand what the cabal's did to him. I am sure the first thing he will do is to lash out against them and sack them. He is such a humble man with so so much respect for the rule of law.
Posted by maiyaki on May 09 2010
If only the late president was able to recover and understand what the cabal's did to him. I am sure the first thing he will do is to lash out against them and sack them. He is such a humble man with so so much respect for the rule of law.May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace AMEN!!!
Posted by ET on May 09 2010
@malice.....So why don't u start the revolution and we all shall follow u................Actions speaks louder than ur words u jackass.....@fola_usa....it is people like u that encourage people like malice to say things like this without any substance.....@malice people like u have come and gone and Nigeria still stands.....Be more patriotic.......Let me know where ur first rally to support change will be and i will meet u there.....odawise shut ur mouth and rot in hell.....I warned u not to insults me in ur response to my comment and that is exactly what u did........Typical idiot.....people like u are just looking for relevance....My question still stands.....How will u solve Nigeria's current problems if u were in Pres Jonathan's position?(Power, corruption, electoral reform education etc....but again i probably shouldn't have asked u cos people like u will never be in such a position.....Thank God for that and keep posting ur comments on next....that's where they will stay and that's where u belong.... PS: This is not Country, Ali or Truck pusher......It is ur worst nightmare..........A Patriotic citizen of Nigeria
Posted by bellerikki london u.k on May 09 2010
I dont understand the yearnings and obsession of the core North to hold on to power at all cost. I make bold to say, that the true leadership of Nigeria is best guranteed by the Middle-belt and the South-south regions, we both come from already mixed societies and hence have a higher threshold for tolerance and liberalism, both regions have contributed immensely the unity and progress of Nigeria, the former through blood and sweat of predominant service in the armed forces, and the latter through sustaining the entire country with its natural resources of oil. The core north's continuous clamour for power is laughable considering how poor and retarded the country was under their rulership. I liken good leadership to our national game.....Football!! the best captain across the history of the game are either midfield players or defenders. they are in the best position to see and read the game than "upnorth "strikers. The core North of Nigeria is absorbed with its self, it is too isolated and constricted by its conservative religion to give us a broad and secular perspective that is needed to progression in this country. So come on President Jonathan, lead us to the promised land.
Posted by G.babe on May 09 2010
@ Garba dangiwa u too harsh.i can see d bitterness in u.abeg takam easy oh no bi Jonathan killam.@ Rebel & bede u quys r all rit. Let Jonathan create employment 4d Youth of dis nation wit dis,evil & corruption wil be reduce.
Posted by Patrick Justus on May 09 2010
Our Late president was a humble guy,but his wife made public spectacle of him.How i wish he could see what his aides and wife did to him.Gods ways is not mans way and his decision is the ultimate.Turai is greedy.
Posted by La babe on May 09 2010
@ Garba dangiwa u too harsh.i can see d bitterness in u.abeg takam easy oh no bi Jonathan killam.@ Rebel ,bede&prof Omotoyo u quys r all rit. Let Jonathan create employment 4d Youth of dis nation wit dis,evil & corruption wil be reduce.
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