Yar’Adua Has No Plan To Resign

A report, Tuesday, purportedly from Nigeria’s official news agency, that President Umaru Yar’Adua may resign because of ill health has ignited a furious denial from the presidency. “The presidency wishes to affirm that there is no truth whatsoever to the suggestion that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua is contemplating resignation from office,” his spokesman Olusegun Adeniyi said in a statement.

An email appearing to originate from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), bearing the NAN sender address, and in the format NAN uses for flashes,  had said that Yar’Adua was likely to step down soon for health reasons.

The email that appeared to come from NAN said “President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua may resign after a cabinet reshuffle, on health grounds”, suggesting that a cabinet reshuffle is expected in coming days.

But Adeniyi said, it can only be assumed that the report is the handiwork of persons who do not wish the country well”.

“For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, President Yar’Adua has no intention of abandoning the mandate given to him to lead Nigeria further along the path to restoration, growth and development, “ Adeniyi continued.

Another presidential aide, who asked not to be named, called the report a “rumour” which he suspected was aimed at causing confusion in the West African regional power house.

“This smacks of deliberate sabotage and an attempt to cause chaos in the country,” he said, assuring that a probe would be launched into the origin of the report, for appropriate sanction”.

‘I can assure you , grave fabrication such as this will not be ignored,” the aide said

Meanwhile, NAN has distanced itself from the resignation story. Its deputy editor-in-chief Olusegun Aribike said “we believe that it is a mischief maker at work”.