Nigeria’s leadership was in total confusion over who was in charge early this year with then-president Umaru Yar’Adua thought to be in a “semi-comatose state,” a leaked diplomatic cable showed Thursday.
The cable, dated February 26, 2010, reported on a meeting between then-US ambassador Robin Renee Sanders and Goodluck Jonathan, who was Nigeria’s acting president at the time. Jonathan became president in May after Yar’Adua’s death.
“Jonathan told the ambassador ‘everyone’s confused’ about who is in charge of Nigeria,” according to the cable, published by British newspaper The Guardian and part of a huge trove of documents obtained by Wikileaks.
“There has been an increase in the level of uncertainty in the internal political situation following ailing President Yar’Adua’s return, which was shrouded in secrecy, during the early hours February 24.”
Yar’Adua had previously spent months in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment.
“(Jonathan) told the ambassador he believes Yar’Adua is in a semi-comatose state without an understanding of what is going on around him,” the cable said.
The cable describes a tense period in Africa’s most populous nation, with military chiefs seeking to keep politicians away from rank-and-file soldiers.
According to the cable, Jonathan said “the military chiefs are making sure no politicians are reaching out to the rank-and-file”.
It added that they were “encouraging the military to stay in the barracks so that the uncertain political situation does not generate coup-like behavior emanating from the mid-ranks because of the confusion.”
Jonathan shared his plans to dissolve cabinet and form a new one, but said he had to first ensure people were comfortable with him as acting president, according to the leaked memo.
The confusion over who was in charge was evident in his description of one cabinet meeting.
“He said the last cabinet meeting was disastrous and included yelling and screaming, and it is totally dysfunctional,” the cable said.
“He said he is ‘not a politician’ and had very limited experience as an administrator, but concluded, ‘I will not tolerate a brawl.'”
Jonathan described moves that were underway to try to convince Yar’Adua’s family that he should resign as president.
He said he did not anticipate running for president in 2011 and was focused on organising a credible ballot, which would be a major feat in a country with a long history of electoral fraud.
“He did, however, note that, ‘if they want me to run, that will be something to consider at that time,'” the cable said.
Jonathan, who was a state governor in the oil-producing Niger Delta region before becoming Yar’Adua’s vice president, is running in the election set for April 9.