NIGERIA PRESIDENT PAYS HOMAGE TO FORMER LATE PREIDENT YAR'ADUA...

President Goodluck Jonathan in Katsina on Friday paid
homage to Hajia Aya Dada, mother of late President
Umaru Yar’Adua.

Jonathan, who was on a two-day state visit to Katsina,
arrived at the Yar’Adua’s’ compound at 9.20 a.m.
accompanied by Gov. Ibrahim Shema.
Jonathan and his entourage was received by Alhaji
Mustapha, the younger brother of the late president,
who led them to their matriarch.
Shema introduced the president to Hajia Aya Dada and
Jonathan in humility knelt down before her to receive a
motherly blessing.
He also paid homage to late Yar’Adua’s elder brother
Alhaji Yusuf Musa Yar’Adua before leaving the
compound.
The late Yar’Adua became the first civilian leader in
Nigeria to take over from another after winning a
presidential poll in 2007 with Jonathan as his Vice.
Yar’Adua, 58, died of a chronic heart disease,
pericarditis, an inflammation of the lining around the
heart, on May 5, 2010, which constitutionally paved
way for Jonathan to take over as president.
Meanwhile, Jonathan has said that only the ruling
party, PDP can stabilise the politics of the nation, and
urged Nigerians to vote for it come 2015.
Jonathan said this after inspecting a new secretariat
complex of the party in Katsina.
The president, who inspected the complex shortly after
he left the Yar’Adua’s compound, urged the party
executives in the states to toe the Katsina line by
building a permanent party secretariat.