Nigeria’s President Yar’Adua to Hand Over Power

President Umaru Yar'Adua - Handing over power

President Umaru Yar’Adua has expressed his intentions to hand over power to the Vice President Goodluck Jonathan for medical reasons. The President will write a letter to the Nigerian Senate. The letter will formerly inform the Senate body that the President is on Medical Vacation. This decision comes amidst calls for the President to resign after a long period of absence as a result of medical treatment for a heart disorder in a Saudi Arabian clinic. As a result of this decision, the Vice President will officially assume the role of Acting President of Nigeria.

Yar’Adua who suffers from an inflammation of the lining around the heart, also has a long history of kidney problems. The announcement was made by the president’s special adviser on legislative affairs, Abba Aji, The President’s failure to transfer powers to his deputy before he left created a power vacuum that has drawn criticism from officials of all political persuasions. Those calls were initially ignored by Yar’Adua but mounting pressure from within his own party and threats of impeachment by the Senate body may have ultimately led to the decision to hand over to Goodluck Jonathan, the Vice President.

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