Politically inclined Nigerians realize that the second anniversary of Yar'Adua's inauguration is in a few weeks. They also realize that Presidential elections are on the horizon and many wonder whether Yar'Adua will seek re-election. However, it seems that Yar'Adua is maneuvering certain puzzle pieces to benefit a specific individual who just might be his handpicked successor for the upcoming Presidential elections.
ISA YUGUDA
When Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda, made Nasifat Yar'Adua his 4th wife in January 2009, he went from being another unrecognizable state governor to becoming the President's son-in-law and the focus of national scrutiny. In no time, allegations arose that public funds to the tune of N300 million had been used to finance his wedding celebration. Then, despite little evidence of the necessary experience, Yuguda's name was soon floated as a possible replacement for Charles Soludo, the governor of Nigeria's Central Bank. And, now, Yuguda has defected from his political party to join that of his father-in-law - the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP).

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Since entering the national spotlight, rumors of mysterious health issues have dogged President Yar'Adua. While campaigning for the Presidency, Nigerians were informed that he had a 'kidney condition' but were, unfortunately, never given any specifics. In March 2007, Yar'Adua was rushed to Germany for treatment and eventually rumors swirled that he was dead. Since becoming President, there have been reports of other health related trips and Nigerians have wondered if their President's health would impede his ability to run the country. Additionally, political opportunists have used Yar'Adua's health issues to call for his resignation and further instigate political instability. As such, the President's health has become a matter of serious concern for all committed to the nation's democracy and stability.

But, what does this mean for Nigeria's democracy and the will of the people? Should the concerns of the elite be the guiding force in determining who will have the responsibility of guiding Nigeria and remedying the nation's woes such as insufficient electricity, decayed infrastructure and other problems faced by citizens? Wills Yuguda become Yar'Adua's handpicked successor, the way Yar'Adua was picked by Obasanjo? This situation raises so many questions and only time will tell. What is certain, however, is that Yuguda is being maneuvered for something important, and all Nigerians must pay attention. After all, they too should have a say in what happens in their country.
Further Reading:
- Yar'Adua And The Continuing Heath Issue
- The Consequences of Yar'Adua's Mysterious Health
- Yar'Adua's 2 Week Vacation
- How Long Does It take To Replace A Health Minister?

24 Curiosities. Add Yours.:
I find it absolutely HILARIOUS that his health is the main reason people feel he shouldn't run for a second time.
Um, HELLO? What has he DONE?! What can Yar'Adua honestly say he's accomplished in 2 years? Please. As for the hand-picking, I'm not surprised by that either. I didn't think it would be any other way.
Frankly we just need to find a way to get rid of PDP entirely. If I wanted a dictatorship I'd go back to the times of Abacha, thanks very much.
I'm not sure why I posted the above comment as Anonymous... Ah well.
This is a very nice points you've raised here SSD... I will simply put it this way(O ni bara won b'ole bo ni yen) Don't be surprise to hear that the son in law is running for president next term.
And now they are talking of re-branding Nigeria.. Re-branding should start from when they stop making Ruling Naija a family business.
I'm no good with politics though but I always wonder why these our so called leader pass the baton from one hand to another. They are not even ready to let us be the real judge of who to rule us. We only vote to whatever they dictate to us.
If this is true, then Yar'adua is NOT SLICK! damn, did he think the fact that Yuguda married his daughter would just slip away from the public eye?! I know Nafisa, and hearing gist from her camp has revealed that the marriage was a very calculated move. It wasn't a random act of 2 people falling in love, but a way to secure the potential of political appointments in an intricate weave of patron-clientèle relationships. BOOOOO to hidden agendas when people are still suffering under this democraze.
suprisingly, i don't think yar'adua is picking yuguda as successor.yar'adua will contest again.the signs are everywhere.his political acolytes rae already dropping the word to testthe waters and no matter how sickly or dovish he looks, he is as calculating as thenext naija politician.
Here we go again. Isa Yugudu WILL NOT be President of Nigeria in 2011, and neither will YarAdua. Seriously, if I have to campaign from now to the last day.
Perhaps, he is being groomed to succeed him. Nothing is new in Nigeria you know.
A
No news seems to be a surprise in Nigeria anymore. Infact i stopped reading the news. Oh God pls send us a savior...
the next elections would test a lot of things in nigeria. i see pdp between a rock and a hard place, with enough surprises. im not miss cleo but signs are begining to show.
Yar 'Adua doesn't know what a presidency is, much less appointment a successor. I am tempted to laugh at such cruel joke but then again, i tend to forget that this is Nigeria
I wonder what is wrong with these people and why they believe that naija is all for and about them.....
Thanks for your prayers on ma blog.
I agree with sugabelly. Isa will not become the president.
The north is way more fragmented than we think. Isa would not fly with the powerful political and economic factions in the north not to mention the south.
As fucked up as Naija is it is not a monarchy. Nigeria is not Togo. Yar'adua can't just give the "throne" to his son-in-law.
And can you believe the guy has a blog? Check out his comment on the latest post on Naijablog. He doesn't seem to be smart at all.
@ Lost: oooh, thanks for the headsup, off to jeremy's....
@ Solomon,
Is the guy for real? As in do you get the sense that someone is just posing as him for comedy sake?
Can't still believe the guy is running a blog and for what objective? If someone is posing as him, it's strong impersonation sha. Solomon... hope u get the time to interview him.
This story is such a joke! I wish i could believe it wasn't true but knowing Nigerian politics it is probably just the tip of the iceberg. I mean, where do they get off positioning these people that no one has heard of before for president? If you want to run, you should at least have a solid record and some evidence of your passion for the job. How is the public supposed to properly assess a candidate when no one knows anything about them?
I guess this is our version of political dynasties like the Bushes, the Kennedys etc. It would be easier to live with this nonsense if they were at least competent.
I really dislike the system of rotating the presidency on the basis of tribe/region of origin as i think it limits the pool of decent candidates. It's a sad reflection of the low levels of trust in Nigeria where everyone is concerned about not getting screwed over by other tribes instead of focusing on getting good leaders in.
Btw, i too came across a comment by "Isa" and I'm convinced it's a prank.
Time is now. We will wipe out all corrupt politicians (including johnathan godluck) by elimination and recover all stolen loot. We will use some of the money collected from the past leaders in rebuilding this country. More to follow. Ill outline my programs soon - see my blog
The next president of Nigeria is surely going to be IBO or some other tribe, everyone so far has been incompetent so why not give every tribe and geographical area a chance to deisplay their incompetence?
You are joking me!
Isa Yuguda?
Really?
Are you serious?
For me the bigger story is "Nasifat Yar'Adua his 4th wife in January 2009". Shouldn´t that be grounds for automatic disqualification on the role? Whats wrong with our people? What type of education would it take to stop these excesses? The state of exceeding what is normal or sufficient seemed to have added to the ruin and rot. Polygamy exist all over Africa so does extreme poverty and ignorance, a Phd study perhaps?
Obasanjo surrounded himself with a bunch of common thieves (how else could one explain Police Chief Tafa Balogun, and the ministers that looted while he was in power?). Could it be that he spent most of his time putting out the fires under his roof while the nation deteoriated? RIP greedy Stella but leadership with many wives will not help focus on the job at hand.
Isa yuguda cannot be president. He is on our list.
why does leadership in africa always revolve around nepotism? its so disheartening!
cronyism at its worst!
i believe in 2011 if PDP rigs, naija will be on fire...the signs are everywhere, and PDP ain't winning and any attempt to rig by them will be resisted by we the pple who so far have been trampled upon!
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