Yar’Adua: No cause for alarm, Akinjide says

From BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan |

FORMER Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief  Richard Osuolale Akinjide, [SAN] yesterday said there was no need for Nigerians to be  apprehensive of the present political scenario in the country over the health of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. Chief Akinjide stated this while speaking with journalists at his Idi-Ishin residence on the state of the nation.

According to him, going by the situation in the country in the last few days, it was glaring that the political tension arising from the health condition of President Yar’Adua is being resolved amicably with the coming in of the Acting President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

“I think we are stabilizing, the Acting President is in place and he has been managing the situation very well. He deserves the prayers and support of all Nigerians,” Chief Akinjide said. He said that the acting president since his new official designation has been “managing the situation very well.”

“I agree that there are sufficient grounds for impeachment. At the same time, you only impeach in the public interest. There may be facts known to them which may not be known to you or to me which make them to tread very carefully,” he said.

Chief Akinjide (SAN) added that Nigerians should assume that the decision of the National Assembly not to impeach President Yar’Adua is based on public interest, saying, “we should assume that their actions and in-actions are based on public interest and therefore, we should give them the benefit of the doubt and respect them.”

On the nation having Dr Jonathan as the Acting President, the legal luminary said there was nothing wrong with such an arrangement even with the arrival of Mr. President in the country, pointing out that the situation was very normal as such was once experienced in the United States of America [US] when President Ronald Reagan was shot and an acting president was appointed in his place.

“The office of president is very important that there should not be a vacuum, there must be an occupier of that critical office who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” he added. Chief Akinjide (SAN) then urged Nigerians to embark on fervent prayers for the quick recovery of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua from the sick bed.