Former Nigerian leaders, comprising former Heads of State, President, Vice Presidents, retired Jurists and others have urged ailing President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to transmit a letter to the National Assembly to enable Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to step in as acting President, according to local media reports.
The former leaders, under the aegis of Elder statesmen, and over 200 members of the House of Representatives as well as world powers made strong statements on the continued absence of President Yar’Adua from the country which has left a power vacuum in Nigeria.
In recent weeks, Nigerians have protested against the vacuum at rallies in Lagos and Abuja.
Also, the Nigerian Senate had, at the end of a two-day closed session, Tuesday and Wednesday this week, passed a resolution urging Yar’Adua to formally notify the National Assembly of his medical vacation in Saudi Arabia in line with Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.
According to the reports, about 200 out of the 360-member House of Representatives have also signed a letter asking the President to formalise his medical leave on a day the US, UK, France and European Union voiced their concern on the power vacuum.
The elders group, led on the visit by Second Republic President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Thursday met separately with Senate President David Mark and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, behind closed-doors to present to them a letter containing its resolutions on the state of the nation.
The letter written and signed by a former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, on behalf of the group, reads: ‘I have been mandated and have the honour to address this letter to Your Excellency on issues of fundamental importance to the wellbeing of our dear nation, Nigeria.
‘For well over eight weeks now, our President has been ill and out of the country. This illness and long absence from the country is causing serious concern not only to Nigerian citizens but all those who do business with Nigeria and have the wellbeing of the country at heart.
‘It is for this reason that I called the meeting of some of our former Preside nts and Heads of State, former Chief Justices of Nigeria and elder statesmen today (January 27).’
The group said ‘Following a critical review of the general political situation of the country in the recent past, but more especially since the illness of the President and his prolonged absence, it was important to resolve this issue by in viting the President to formally issue the necessary communication that will enable the Vice-President to be Acting President in accordance with Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution as soon as possible.’
Those who attended the meeting at the ECOWAS Parliament last Wednesday, included Shagari; former Head of the defunct Interim National Government (ING), Chief Ernest Shonekan; Ekwueme; former Chief Justices of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais; Hon. Justice Alfa Belgore; and Kutigi.