Nigeria: Goodluck Jonathan dissolves cabinet

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Nigeria’s acting presidente, Goodluck Jonathan, has dissolved the country’s cabinet yesterday. The news was on major websites all around the world.

“Mr Jonathan became acting president in February amid the continuing illness of President Umaru Yar’Adua. Mr Yar’Adua went to Saudi Arabia for treatment in November last year and, despite returning to Nigeria recently, has not been seen in public. One outgoing cabinet minister denied there was any power vacuum, saying civil servants would take over”, BBCnews.co.uk reports.

“The cabinet had been seen as divided between his and Yar’Adua’s supporters, and the dissolution also follows the electoral agency’s announcement Tuesday that presidential and general elections are to take place early next year”, reports NANGAYI GUYSON IN KAMPALA UGANDA for Africanews.com.

“By this action, he wants to consolidate his position in power and govern more effectively. The man really wants to assert himself in power,” Bayo Onanuga, an analyst and editor-in-chief of The News magazine, told AFP (as reported by NANGAYI GUYSON on Africanews.com).

“Jonathan took office as acting head of state on February 9 after Parliament voted to force ailing Yar’Adua to hand over. The following day, Jonathan carried out a minor Cabinet reshuffle, moving the outspoken and controversial Justice Minister Michael Aondoakaa to the obscure Special Duties portfolio”, Ola Awoniyi reports on Southafrican website mg.co.za.

“Jonathan, 53, had earlier this month also sacked the powerful national security adviser, Major General Sarki Mukhtar, and replaced him with Lieutenant General Aliyu Gusau, who had held the position before. Yar’Adua, 58, returned to the country three weeks ago after spending 93 days in a Jeddah hospital for an acute heart ailment”, is also written on Awoniyi report.

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