The four Christian clerics who visited ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua last Monday at the Presidential Villa, were at the Villa again on Tuesday – this time for a meeting with the Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan.
The church leaders were the national chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), John Onaiyekan; President of Living Faith International, David Oyedepo; the former chaplain in Aso Villa, Yesufu Obaje, and the Founder of Throne Room Trust Ministry, Emmanuel Kure.
They were sighted coming out of the acting president’s office, accompanied by the executive secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), John Kenedy Okpara.
On coming out of Jonathan’s office, the four briefly discussed at the corridor of the Presidential Villa before driving away. They did not speak to journalists on their mission to the State House.
It was, however, learnt that their visit is not unconnected to their recent visit to Mr. Yar’Adua on the other side of the villa, during which they had said they went to pray for a quick recovery for him.
Closed door discussion
Even though they did not give details of the health condition of the president for fear of misrepresentation, they had confirmed that Mr. Yar’Adua is sick. Their spokesperson, Mr. Kure, told the BBC that he was not sure if Mr. Yar’Adua spoke during the visit. He was quoted as saying that he heard a ‘grunt’ when the time came for the president to say ‘amen’ to their prayer.
Wednesday’s discussion with the acting president was equally done behind closed doors. The visit of the Christian clergy followed an earlier one by some Muslim clerics who had, last Thursday, also gone to see and pray for President Yar’Adua at the Presidential Villa.