Yar'Adua crests the stairway to heaven

Of frailty and mortality

The absence of Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua the PDP Presidential candidate from the Nigerian campaign trail brings much cause for concern.

Now, it cannot be said that a sick man cannot assume a position of high political responsibility, Dick Cheney for instance became Vice President of the United States having suffered a number of heart attacks and only a few days ago the indolence of longhaul travel had him suffering from Deep-Vein Thrombosis.

The case of Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua is a bit complicated because it is known but not admitted that he does have chronic condition possibly to do with his kidneys even though at one time the President with all his medical knowledge not fitting on a postage stamp declared that his prospective successor is hale and hearty.

We hear that on the advice of his personal physician, his was flown to Germany for something that ranges from a benign medical check-up to something too pessimistic to contemplate.

However, as it stands, it would appear that the Alhaji was already climbing the stairway to heaven and having entered the door there is for now a news-blackout pending the circumstances that would allow this news to filter back to Nigeria without creating a serious political situation - forgive my understatement.

The Times of Nigeria is either writing the man's obituary before the event or in fact, as they say of kings - The Presidential Candidate is dead, long live the Presidential Candidate.