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Nigeria's Acting President May Visit Washington

   University  Professor  Kabiru  Mato  says  Goodluck Jonathan is acting
   president  and  not  the  elected president of the Federal Republic of
   Nigeria

   James Butty | Washington, DC 23 March 2010
   Nigeria's  Acting  President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja. The country's
   parliament  has  named  Jonathan  acting  leader while President Umaru
   Yar'Adua  remains  hospitalized  in  Saudi  Arabia (November 2009 file
   photo)

Photo: AFP

   Nigeria's Acting President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.

   Reports from Nigeria said acting President Goodluck Jonathan is likely
   to meet with President Barack Obama next month in Washington.

   The  reports  quote  outgoing  Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe as saying
   that  Mr. Jonathan will have a one-on-one meeting with President Obama
   while in Washington for the nuclear security summit.

   The reports said Maduekwe made the comments Monday to officials of the
   foreign ministry during a hand-over speech.

   The reports of Jonathanâs possible Washington visit came on a day that
   some   Nigerian  newspapers  reported  Monday  that  ailing  President
   YarâAdua  will  soon  address  the nation to announce his intention to
   resume work perhaps as early as next week.

   Ailing Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua

   Kabiru   Mato,  head  of  the  political  science  department  at  the
   University   of   Abuja   said  acting  president  Jonathan  is  being
   overzealous.

   âI  keep  saying  that  what  we  have  in  Nigeria today is an acting
   government  and  acting president and an acting president can never be
   the  president  unless the constitutional issues that are involved are
   clearly  fulfilled.  And  I  want  to  think  that  there  is a lot of
   political  exuberance and overzealousness on the part of those who are
   acting and their political godfathers,â he said.

   Professor  Mato  said  there were still raw feelings about the process
   that  made  Jonathan  acting  president.  But  he said Nigerians still
   aspire to be a democratic society.

   âI  think the nation is resolved on one fundamental fact and that fact
   is that we are interested in civil democratic order; we are interested
   in  electing  our  leaders;  we  are  interested  in  the freedom that
   apparently has eluded the society during military administrations. But
   beyond  that,  Iâm  saying  that  the acting president is still acting
   president. He is not sworn in as the president of the Federal Republic
   of Nigeria,â Mato said.

   The  Daily  Trust  newspaper  quoting  top sources close to the ailing
   president reported in its Monday edition that President YarâAdua plans
   to resume power as early as next week.

   Mato said if and when ailing President YarâAdua returns, Nigeria could
   find itself engulfed in a more serious national crisis.

   âNewspapers  in  Nigeria reported very clearly that some associates of
   the  President are saying that very soon he is going to bounce back to
   office.  And  that  is  the crisis that we are talking about for Godâs
   sake.  I  tell you that by the time President YarâAdua bounces back to
   office, it would be a very confused atmosphere,â he said.

   Mato  said  when  that  happens,  instead  of  the  government working
   tirelessly  towards  having  free  and  fair  elections early in 2011,
   Nigeria  could  face a situation where one faction is trying to settle
   its scores with the other faction.

   âIf acting President Goodluck Jonathan has been acting on the basis of
   sensation and advice heâs getting from those who would wish to benefit
   from  his  presidency, then sadly Nigeria is going to be in for a very
   terrible situation because we may yet have another dissolution (of the
   cabinet),â Mato said.

   Mato  said  if  acting  President  Jonathan does visit Washington next
   month  as outgoing Foreign Minister Maduekwe has reportedly suggested,
   he  would  likely  try to assure President Obama and the international
   community  that  his  administration would pursue policies that are in
   the interest of Nigeria and the international community.

   The  United  States has listed Nigeria among 14 terror countries. This
   followed  the  attempted  bombing  of a U.S. airliner by Nigerian Umar
   Farouk Abdulmutalla on Christmas day last year.

   Mato said any negative statement that President Obama might make about
   Nigeria and terrorism during a possible Jonathan visit might infuriate
   Muslim groups in Nigeria.

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