Did Late Yar’Adua Transfer Power to Jonathan? Late President’s Brother Clears Air 15 Years After

Did Late Yar’Adua Transfer Power to Jonathan? Late President’s Brother Clears Air 15 Years After

  • Senator Abdulaziz Yar'Adua, brother to the late President Musa Yar'Adua, recently discussed the prelude to his brother's passing
  • He recounted the controversies surrounding the transference of power to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan
  • During a televised interview with Channels TV, he acknowledged and clarified that the transfer did occur despite initial reports suggesting otherwise

Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro

FCT, Abuja - Senator Abdulaziz Yar'Adua, the brother of the late President Musa Yar'Adua, has revisited the controversy regarding the seat of authority preceding his elder brother's demise.

During a televised interview with Channels TV hosts, the legislator disclosed the contentious issue regarding the transition of power to former President Goodluck Jonathan, who served as the vice president to the deceased incumbent president.

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The lawmaker recounted the controversy over the transference of power before his brother's demise
The late president's brother confirmed that a letter was written for power transfer to Jonathan before his medical trip. Photo Credit: Abdulaziz Yar'Adua/Goodluck Jonathan
Source: Facebook

Despite several news reports from Nigeria that his ailing brother did not, Senator Abdulaziz confirmed that power was transferred to Jonathan.

He recounted that he was serving with the military then and was one of those who was nursing his brother in Saudi Arabia, where he was receiving treatment.

Senator Abdulaziz speaks on letter written to Jonathan

The lawmaker revealed that his brother wrote a letter transferring power to Jonathan before departing Nigeria for treatment in Saudi Arabia.

He said:

"I was one of those who nursed him throughout his sojourn in Saudi Arabia. While I was there, every morning we google the newspapers in Nigeria to find out what is happening.
"In one of such occassions, arround December 2009 I saw the issues coming up about him not transfering power. I was very disturbed because I know the late president, I grew under him...in our family I was the closest to him. So I got disturbed knowing the kind of person that he is. Eventually my findings was that; yes he did, he wrote a letter."

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The lawmaker said that after his findings and refusal to transfer power to Jonathan, he could not speak to the press because he was a serving military officer, and it wasn't under his purview to divulge such details.

However, he stated that he did not know what happened to the letter and did not confirm whether Jonathan ever saw it.

Yar’Adua chairs Northern Senators’ Forum after Ningi suspension

In another report, the Northern Senators Forum has appointed Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua as its new leader after Senator Abdul Ningi stepped down from the position.

Ningi resigned following a three-month suspension from the Senate over his controversial claim of budget padding.

Yar’Adua, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and representative of Katsina Central, will now chair the forum.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Segun Adeyemi avatar

Segun Adeyemi (Current Affairs and Politics Editor) Segun Adeyemi is a journalist with over 9 years of experience as an active field reporter, editor, and editorial manager. He has had stints with Daily Trust newspaper, Daily Nigerian, and News Digest. He currently works as an editor for Legit.ng's current affairs and politics desk. He holds a degree in Mass Communication (Adekunle Ajasin University). He is a certified digital reporter by Reuters, AFP and the co-convener of the annual campus journalism awards. Email: segun.adeyemi@corp.legit.ng.