Nigeria was in total ‘confusion’ when President was in “semi-comatose state”: Wikileaks

LONDON - Nigeria’s leadership was in total confusion over who was in charge earlier this year with then-President Umaru Yar’Adua was thought to be in a “semi-comatose state”, according to classified US diplomatic cables released by whistleblower website Wikileaks.

Yar’Adua, who was terminally ill, had left Nigeria in November 2009 for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia.

The cable, dated February 26, 2010, reported on a meeting between then-US Ambassador to Nigeria Robin Renee Sanders and Goodluck Jonathan, who was Nigeria’s acting President at the time.

It says that Jonathan admitted that “everyone’s confused about who is in charge of Nigeria”.

“He said the last cabinet meeting was disastrous and included yelling and screaming, and it is totally dysfunctional. He said he is ‘not a politician’ and had very limited experience as an administrator, but concluded, ‘I will not tolerate a brawl’,” the Guardian quoted the cable, as saying.

Jonathan had also named political enemies whom he accused of destabilising the government.

“This terrible situation in the country today has been created by four people: Turai Yar’Adua [the ailing president's wife], his chief security officer (CSO) [Yusuf Muhammad Tilde], his aide-de-camp (ADC) [Colonel Mustapha Onoedieva] and Professor Tanimu Yakubu [his chief economic adviser],” the cable said.

Referring to Jonathan as “the AgP”, the memo states: “The AgP said he does not know their motives, but expected it was likely for nefarious purposes … The AgP noted that ‘people are angry’.”

The cable also reveals that Jonathan feared that Yar’Adua’s ill health might spark a military coup.

“The AgP said the military chiefs are making sure no politicians are reaching out to the rank-and-file, and encouraging the military to stay in the barracks so that the uncertain political situation does not generate coup-like behaviour emanating from the mid-ranks because of the confusion,” the cable said. (ANI)