allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Silence in Aso Rock - President Keeps Indoors

Nigeria: Silence in Aso Rock - President Keeps Indoors - How He Sneaked Into Abuja

There was graveyard silence in Aso Rock Presidential Villa yesterday as movement was restricted on a day that President Umaru Musa Yar'adua returned from Saudi Arabia after about 16 days in the Holy Land.President Yar'adua, whose present state of health has been a subject of speculation in the last two weeks, did not receive visitors in the Villa, contrary to previous practices in which top government officials and politicians welcomed him whenever he returned from abroad.

A source at the Villa told our reporters last night that the president had kept indoors since his return. "President Yar'adua has returned, just as you have read in the newspapers, but he does not seem to be in the mood to receive anybody," the source told Sunday Trust. There were no vehicular movements in and out of Aso Rock, and the environment spoke of eerie silence.

The silence in The Presidency tends to support the speculation that top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and government officials had pressurised Yar'adua to return to the country for security reasons.

The president's return from Saudi Arabia was kept secret to confound all those whose previous predictions on his date of return failed. Information about his return filtered in on Friday night when most government functionaries had given up hope on his return this week.

Our photographer who went to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja to keep vigil in order to capture the return of the president was prevented from entering into the premises of the airport.

In his account of how security operatives cordoned off the international airport, the photo-journalist said: "I was at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at about 2.30am. But the road was already blocked by security operatives. I was stopped from entering, though I had identified myself as a photo-journalist. The security operatives said they had been instructed not to allow anybody into the airport."

Our photographer said further that, "the President's plane landed at about 2.55am, and as I was not allowed in, I didn't know who and who were there to receive him. I waited there for several minutes and saw vehicles conveying him to the city. But one striking thing was that the number of vehicles in the convoy was very few. The road was closed as the convoy took off from the airport, and I was actually forced out of the road to give way to the convoy."

There was confusion last night as to whether Yar'adua returned into the country in company of the PDP National Chairman, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor. When contacted by our reporter to find out the state of health of the President, Ogbulafor said he was in London and was on his way back and would be arriving today (Sunday).

"I am presently in London and will soon be on my way to Nigeria. I can only speak to you when I arrive tomorrow (today). Please you should be patient until I come back," said the PDP National Chairman who immediately hung up.

But National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Professor Nura Alkali appealed to Nigerians to thank God Almighty for the safe arrival of Yar'adua from Saudi Arabia. He said that the PDP, as a party would continue to support the President in his effort to make Nigeria a great nation.

"What we require now is for all Nigerians to continue thanking God for making it possible for our President to return from Saudi Arabia. We must also note that the President needs our prayers and understanding. The PDP, as a party, would continue to assist in ensuring that the lofty goals of government, as encapsulated in the seven-point agenda is realised," Prof Alkali said.

According to news reports, Yar'adua was said to have arrived Abuja in the company of Ogbulafor; Katsina state Governor Alhaji Ibrahim Shema, and his Kwara state counterpart, Dr. Bukola Saraki; State House Director of Protocol, Alhaji Inuwa Baba; some of the President's relatives and a host of other top government officials.

Efforts to get official comments from The Presidency on Yar'adua's state of health failed as the Special Adviser to the president of Communication, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, did not respond to repeated calls and text messages sent to his mobile telephone.

Also, the Minister of Information and Communication, Mr. John Odey could not be reached for comments as his mobile phones were switched off.

Yar'adua who had travelled to Saudi Arabia on August 20, 2007 supposedly for the Muslims lesser hajj (Umrah), was reported to have taken ill and under went medical check up. Speculations were rife before his arrival yeterday that Yar'adua might travel back to Germany after he must have addressed the nation.

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