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ABUJA - Nigeria's government on Wednesday flatly rejected calls by dozens of public figures for ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua to resign.
More than 50 Nigerian public figures had called on 58-year-old Yar'Adua, being treated for a heart condition in Saudi Arabia, to step down as leader of one of the world's top oil producers on the grounds that ill health had impaired his judgement.
Information Minister Dora Akunyili said in a statement issued after a cabinet meeting that the government had "unanimously resolved that there is no basis for the invocation of the provisions of... the constitution, for the reason that the president has not been found incapable of discharging his functions."
"Council wishes to inform all Nigerians that all organs of government are functioning and that government will continue to deliver," Akunyili said.
Among prominent signatories to a statement carried in Nigerian newspapers Wednesday are Aminu Bello Masari, a former speaker of the parliament's lower house, ex-state governors, rights activists and opposition politicians.
The statement called on Yar'Adua, who was elected in 2007, to "immediately and unconditionally hand over to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan to complete the current term of office."
Jonathan urged Nigerians last Friday to disregard rumours about Yar'Adua, including that he was in a coma or had died.
His ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) said on Monday he is "improving steadily".
Yar'Adua flew to Jeddah on Monday last week and is being treated at the city's King Faisal hospital for acute pericarditis -- inflammation of the membrane covering the heart, officials said.
He is widely believed to have a history of kidney-related disease for which he has previously received treatment in both Germany and Saudi Arabia.
Yar'Adua was dogged by ill-health even during the election campaign that brought him to power.
Nigeria's constitution provides that by a two-third majority, the cabinet can launch a process to verify whether the head of state is capable of performing his functions. If the leader is found incapable, the process would eventually result in the president's removal from office.
"But we have not got to that stage because there is no evidence to even start the process," Justice Minister Michael Aondoakaa, told reporters Wednesday after the routine weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Jonathan.
"We have looked at the facts on ground and there is no basis to even contemplate to start the process," he said.
"The constitution did not make provision for creation of a super human being as a president. And this means that somebody can fall sick and somebody can go to the hospital and still remain in office."
The media has been awash with articles over the past 10 days explaining constitutional provisions and speculating on possible post-Yar'Adua scenarios.
Secretary to the federal government, Yayale Ahmed, said cabinet would "not be intimidated into doing things which are uncalled for."
- AFP /ls
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