Former first lady and wife of the late President Umaru Musa Yarâ€Adua, Hajiya Turai, revealed some secrets about her husbandâ€s ill-health to the former US Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Robin Sanders.Turai Yar'Adua
According to the latest posting on the whistleblowing websites, Wikileaks, Turai disclosed to Ms Sanders that the late Yarâ€Adua had long been suffering from kidney problems and asthma. But Turai denied that her husband suffered from lung cancer.
The former first lady also told the former US Envoy that the late president became a kidney patient in 1999 shortly before he became the governor of Katsina State. But construction giant, Julius Berger set up a dialysis for him in his home in Katsina.
The construction giant also flew German medical experts into Nigeria to treat him.
Wikileaks added that Yarâ€Adua had his first kidney transplant in 1999. The kidney was donated by Alhaji Sayyadi Abba Ruma who later became the Minister of Water Resources and a powerful member of Yarâ€Aduaâ€s kitchen cabinet.
Turai disclosed further that the Northern elite and the ruling Peopleâ€s Democratic Party, PDP, bigwigs were all aware of the late Yarâ€Aduaâ€s ill-health but they pretended as if all was well and persuaded him to accept the onerous task of ruling Nigeria.
This disclosure contradicted the position of former President Olusegun Obasanjo who claimed that Yarâ€Adua showed a clean bill of health certificate before he nominated him to succeed him in 2007.
Wikileaks added that the late Presidentâ€s aides were hiding his frail health with make-ups and artificial dressing.
However, when the former Presidentâ€s health relapsed in 2002 it was suggested he should go to Germany for a second kidney transplant. Brother to Abba-Ruma whose name was not mentioned offered to donate his kidney.
After the donor had visited Germany, the late Yarâ€Adua was not favourably disposed to going for another kidney transplant.
He did not accept the idea because of public outcry and discontent it would have generated. There were already complaints about his constant travelling on account of his health.
In November, 2009 he could no longer manage the situation, Yarâ€Adua travelled to Saudi Arabia without handing over to his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan. The vacuum created turned to a national crisis.
He was flown back into Nigeria at about 2.00 a.m on 24 February, 2009 amidst tight security mounted by soldiers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Thereafter, the late President Yarâ€Adua lived ostensibly on life support machines inside Aso Rock, Abuja, the seat of power without any contact with the public until he died on 5 May, 2010.
He was buried the following day in his home town, Katsina while the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as President same day, 6 May, 2010.
According to WikileaksTurai and members of Yarâ€Aduaâ€s kitchen cabinet tried to conceal Yarâ€Aduaâ€s deteriorating health in the hope that he would live long to actualise his second term ambition this year. His first term would have expired on 29 May this year.
