2010-04-02
ABUJA (Reuters) - A senior Islamic cleric said on Friday he had prayed with Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua, who has not been seen in public since last November, and he believed he would recover after receiving treatment for a heart ailment.

Ustaz Musa Mohammed, the chief imam of Nigeria's National Mosque, told Reuters he and three other Islamic clerics shook hands and prayed with Yar'Adua during a 15-minute meeting at the president's residence in the capital Abuja late Thursday.

"We set up the meeting because we wanted to know the truth to see whether he is alive," Mohammed said. "We have now seen him and we are satisfied that he is recovering."

He said Yar'Adua had some difficulty speaking, saying only one or two words to them. The president also remained seated during the meeting with his wife Turai at his side.

No doctor was present.

Presidency officials could not immediately be reached for comment on the meeting.

The 58-year-old president has not made a public appearance since he left for treatment in Saudi Arabia at the end of November. He was flown back to Nigeria two months ago but remains too frail to govern.

His deputy Goodluck Jonathan has taken over executive powers in his absence.

POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY

Yar'Adua's secretive return in late February raised fears that his inner circle of aides, led by his wife Turai, would fight to maintain their influence over Africa's most populous nation and seek to undermine Jonathan.

A power struggle at the top of the OPEC member could paralyse the government, threaten an amnesty programme in the oil-producing Niger Delta and jeopardise reforms in sectors from banking to oil and gas.

Jonathan has sacked Yar'Adua's cabinet in a bid to assert his authority and ease political uncertainty for Africa's biggest energy producer.

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed 38 new ministers proposed by Jonathan for his new cabinet.

The nominees confirmed so far include 13 returnees from the outgoing cabinet and while political analysts hope progress on key reforms may accelerate, few expect Nigeria's broad policy direction to change.