The immediate past Nigerian first lady, Mrs. Turai Yar'Adua, first wife of late former President Umaru Ya'Adua is reported to be eyeing the Senate Preidency. Mrs. Yar'Adua is nursing senatorial ambition come 2011 on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
The former first lady's senatorial bid, chidi opara reports learnt is a strategy by the remainant of the hitherto influential Umaru Yar'Adua political cabal to be part of the Abuja power loop in 2011 and beyond. This, we also gathered is to ensure that its members involved in corrupt practices during the three-year-period of Umaru Yar'Adua Presidency are safe from prosecution.
A member of the cabal was said to have been dispatched to the Presidency last week to intimate the President of the cabal's readiness to support his presidential ambition if he would use his influence to ensure that the former first lady is nominated as senatorial candidate in either Katsina state or Abuja. A Presidency contact confirmed that the meeting held but with a member of the Goodluck Jonathan Think Tank. chidi opara reports do not know at this point in time, the outcome of the meeting. It would be noted that the President's plan to contest next year's election is receiving stiff opposition from the North. A contact close to a member of the Goodluck Jonathan Think Tank informed us in Abuja that "in as much as they know that the Yar'Adua family is influential, I think they are at the moment planning to first reach out to more influential power blocs in the North."
Checks revealed that the Umaru Yar'Adua political cabal, suspecting that the President would move to recover ill-gotten wealth from its members had persuaded Mrs Yar'Adua to vie for membership of the Senate as prelude to vying for the Senate Presidency, a position that would make her Chairperson of the National Assembly with power of initiating impeachment of the President if he steps out of line. Turai Yar'Adua who is reputed to be very ambitious, reportedly embraced this plan and have since been throwing resources into it.
chidi opara reports however learnt that the Olusegun Obasanjo factor would be a big huddle to cross, as former President Olusegun Obasanjo is reported to be feeling cold towards the former first lady, due to the shabbiness with which late Umaru Yar'Adua whom he installed in power, treated him during the Umaru Yar'Adua administration at the prompting of the former first lady.
We do not yet have information regarding any formal reaction of the Olusegun Obasanjo political family to Mrs. Yar'Adua's senatorial plans.
