Posted by News Agency of Nigeria - on
To dispel the widespread rumour that the PDP flag bearer, Alhaji Umaru Yar'adua, was dead, President Olusegun Obasanjo today called and spoke with Yar'adua from his hospital bed in Germany.
Abeokuta, March 7, 2007 (NAN) To dispel the widespread rumour that the PDP flag bearer, Alhaji Umaru Yar'adua, was dead, President Olusegun Obasanjo today called and spoke with Yar'adua from his hospital bed in Germany.
During the dialogue, which lasted for about five minutes, Obasanjo had placed his cell-phone speaker on the microphone of the public address system for the audience at the PDP rally in Abeokuta to hear Yar'adua speaking. "I am all right; very fine, very fine indeed sir. I am not dead; I am very much alive sir,'' Umaru told Obasanjo and stated that he had forgiven those that were spreading the rumour about his death. "Accept my apologies for not being with you. I will join you in the next few days, please continue with the campaign,'' he told his running mate, Gov. Goodluck Jonathan of Bayelsa. Rumour -- 2 On his ailment, the PDP flag bearer told Obasanjo that his doctors had diagnosed it as "just a slight infection that will soon be treated''. He said that he had been assured that no surgery was required in his treatment. "I am perfectly normal and will be back in a few days,''
Umaru assured his supporters and urged Gov. Gbenga Daniel of Ogun to continue with the good work he had been doing in the state. Obasanjo said at the end of the conversation that "nobody knows who will die tomorrow except God,'' and described those peddling the rumour about Yar'adua's death as "wicked and heartless people''. While noting that Yar'adua remained the best PDP presidential candidate, Obasanjo said that it was wicked for anybody to think that Yar'adua would die within his first year in office as the country's president. Rumour -- 3 He noted that the PDP candidates emerged through transparent primary elections, assuring the citizenry that the PDP would never deny any citizen the right to rule the country if he or she merited it, irrespective of any other considerations.
Obasanjo urged candidates in the April elections to conduct their electioneering in a peaceful manner, warning that the federal government would not tolerate violence during the campaigns.
The president noted that democracy and violence were "strange bedfellows'' and urged political aspirants to refrain from using the people as "cannon fodder'' during political crises. Earlier, Gov. Jonathan addressed the rally and conceded that Yar'adua was "just taking medical treatment abroad'', adding that he would soon return to join the campaign train. He urged the people to support the PDP in the April polls because the party had the best programmes for the country's socio-economic transformation. (NAN) SAB/OOK