Delta State Protesters Give Yar’Adua Seven Days Ultimatum

PHOTO: PROTESTERS MARCHING AT THE 'SAVE NIGERIA GROUP' PROTEST IN ABUJA.

Asaba Feb 02, (THEWILL) - As the issue of the state of health of President Musa Yar’Adua continues to dominate national discourse, the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) on Monday staged a protest in Asaba, Delta State capital calling on the ailing President to transfer power to his deputy.

The group under the aegis of Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) which had earlier staged protests in other parts of the country, kick started its protest march in the state capital from Summit Junction along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway through Maryam Babangida Way (formerly Anwai Road) to the Government House gate, where the leader of the group, Rufus Olarewaju addressed the crowd.

In his address, Olarewaju called on members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and members of the National Assembly to take steps towards swearing-in Vice President Jonathan within seven days stressing that, "for 63 days now, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has been away and everything has been at a standstill."

Addressing the protesters, Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Tony Nwaka commended the people on the orderly manner they conducted themselves and urged them to continue to conduct themselves peacefully. "We have heard you. We shall convey your message to the governor, who is unavoidably absent here now. He is a listening governor, and would get back to you when he returns," he said.

Some of the placards carried by the group read, "Save Nigeria; Swear-in Jonathan Now and Enough is Enough." 

President Yar’Adua who is still at the King Faisal hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia left Nigeria since November 23, 2009, without transferring power to the Vice President. Calls on him to transfer power have so far not yielded any positive results.