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Nigeria Senate presses Yar'Adua Nigeria loggerheads over Yar'Adua
(30 minutes later)
Nigeria's Senate has called on President Umaru Yar'Adua to provide a letter saying he is sick, allowing the country's vice-president to take power. Nigeria's Senate and cabinet are at loggerheads over President Umaru Yar'Adua, who has spent two months in hospital in Saudi Arabia.
"We... urge the President... Yar'Adua to formally notify the National Assembly of his medical vacation," said Senate leader David Mark. The cabinet has declared that he is still capable of governing the country.
However, the cabinet has ruled that the president is still capable of running the country. However, the Senate has called on him to provide a letter saying he is sick, which would allow the country's vice-president to take power.
Mr Yar'Adua has been in a hospital in Saudi Arabia for two months.
If he provides the written notice, the vice-president would automatically become acting president, lawyers say.
His prolonged absence from Nigeria has raised fears of a power vacuum in the country.His prolonged absence from Nigeria has raised fears of a power vacuum in the country.
Nigerian judges are considering three separate legal cases against Mr Yar'Adua.
After two days of fierce debate in the Senate, its leader David Mark urged Mr Yar'Adua "to formally notify the National Assembly of his medical vacation".
If he provides this written notice, the vice-president would automatically become acting president, lawyers say.
But after a meeting, Nigeria's cabinet said: "The president is not incapable of discharging the functions of his office."
This was in response to a court order last week which gave cabinet ministers two weeks to decide if Mr Yar'Adua was still capable of ruling the country.
Correspondents say one reason for Mr Yar'adua's reluctance to allow Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan to act on his behalf is the ruling People's Democratic Party's tradition of alternating power between north and south.Correspondents say one reason for Mr Yar'adua's reluctance to allow Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan to act on his behalf is the ruling People's Democratic Party's tradition of alternating power between north and south.
Mr Yar'Adua is a northerner, while the vice-president is from the south. So if Mr Jonathan took over, that would shorten the north's "turn". Mr Yar'Adua is a northerner, while the vice-president is from the south. So if Mr Jonathan took over, that would shorten the north's stay in power.
Last week, the country's federal high court gave the cabinet two weeks to decide if Mr Yar'Adua was still capable of ruling the country.
The president is suffering from an inflammation of the lining around the heart and has long suffered from kidney problems.The president is suffering from an inflammation of the lining around the heart and has long suffered from kidney problems.