Nigerian Media Chiefs To Yar’dua: Transfer Power or Quit

Lagos Feb 02, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian media on Tuesday asked President Umaru Yar’Adua to either transfer power to the Vice President or resign from office within seven days, urging the National Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against the ailing leader if he fails to take constitutional measures towards restoring the vacuum at the center.

The media stakeholders who met on Monday in Lagos to review the current political situation in the country said they were appalled by the "reckless and unpatriotic politicization of the President’s ill health and the dance towards darkness by our leaders."

They said they were also aware of moves by the Attorney General of the federation, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa, to secure rulership by absentia for the President even though the President admitted he was ill in the BBC short interview.

President Yar’Adua was evacuated from Abuja to the King Faisal hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on November 23, 2009, and has refused to transfer power to Vice President Goodluck Jonathan. Calls to handover power temporarily including a flurry of court cases and a Nigerian Senate resolution has not made him transfer power.

Those who signed the statement are: Sam Amuka, Publisher of the Vanguard; Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of Daar Communications; Ajibola Ogunsola, Chairman of The Punch; Tony Onyima, Editor-in-Chief of The Sun; Comfort Obi, Editor-in-Chief of the Source; Babafemi Ojodu, (The News); others are Gbenga Omotosho (The Nation); Nosa Igiebor (TELL); Tom Adaba (Trim Media); Osa Sunny Adun (DBN); Olubunmi Windapo (MITV/Star FM); Ben Egbuna  (Niche Media); Rufai Ibrahim (Peoples Daily); Tony Momoh; Frank Aigbogun (Business Day); Sam Nda-Isiah (Leadership); Lade Bonuola (Nigerian COMPASS); Ugo Onuoha (Champion); Gbenga Adefaye (Vanguard); Mideno Bayagbon (Vanguard); Alade Odunewu and Yaya Abubakar.

The Statement in full reads: Upon a careful review of the dangers posed to our nation by the gathering clouds in the land occasioned by disregard for the spirit of our constitution, the stakeholders said they resolved as follows:

•That President Umaru Yar’Adua is human and susceptible to health challenges like every one else.

•That President Yar’Adua is no ordinary Nigerian. In any case, his health challenge is being tackled with national resource.

•That President Yar’Adua swore to an oath of allegiance to obey the letters and the spirit of the 1999 Constitution without fear or favour and to also promote peace and concord in Nigeria.

•That the media stakeholders note the various efforts of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Kasee Aaodoakaa, SAN, to secure rulership in absentsia for President Yar’Adua even when the President had admitted in a BBC interview that his health challenges had temporarily incapacitated him and prevented him from performing the duties of his office.

•That it is therefore frustrating and insulting that members of the National Assembly shall be committing very scarce public funds to a ‘goodwill visit’ to the President in Saudi Arabia.

•The stakeholders commend the valiant intervention by former Heads of state and other eminent statesmen that President Yar’Adua should show regard for the spirit of our Constitution, which foresaw our kind of situation.

•Therefore, because President Umaru Yar’Adua has been in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment for more than 70 days; leaving more than 150 million Nigerians rudderless, thereby unable to perform his duties as Head of State, Chief Executive of this Federation and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and has not been seen in public since then, the stakeholders hereby demand that the President cede power to his deputy or resign within seven days. If he fails to take these obvious constitutional steps to stabilize the polity and keep away undemocratic forces from the political space, the National Assembly should commence impeachment proceedings against the President for endangering the country".