Minister: Murtala Yar’Adua’s Nomination Further Divides The Yar’Adua Family

PHOTO: THE LATE SHEHU MUSA YAR'ADUA WAS PRESIDENT UMARU YAR'ADUA'S ELDER BROTHER.

San Francisco March 24, (THEWILL) – One striking name amongst the 33 Ministerial nominees waiting to be confirmed by the Senate is that of the son of Nigeria’s former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and nephew of Nigeria’s President Umaru Yar’Adua, Alhaji Murtala Yar’Adua.

Murtala’s surprise nomination according to THEWILL checks was part of an orchestrated plan by advisers of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to consolidate his hold on power at the Presidency and also pull some members of the larger Yar’Adua family further away from first lady, Turai, in order to weaken her base.

There is no love lost between Turai and the entire Yar’Adua family because of her domineering and controlling personality, which caused friction between the late Shehu Yar’Adua and the president. The larger family had kept their distance from President Yar’Adua and Turai.

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who was military head of state when the late Yar’Adua was Chief of Staff, and some close advisers of Jonathan who understand the politics in the Yar’Adua clan pushed the high wire maneuver, according to a source at the Presidency.

Mutala was not even informed before hand that he was being considered for a Ministerial slot. The family was not even consulted and neither was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governor of the Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema.

Turai is said to be unhappy about the development and sees it as a ploy to humiliate and further divide the family.

When she got the news of Murtala’s nomination, she placed calls to various persons including the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Muhammadu Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, to complain about the development and urged them to prevail on Murtala to reject the nomination.

If Murtala does not turn down his nomination, he would be screened on Monday with other nominees in the Senate chamber.