Cable: Nigerian president had kidney transplant
The Associated Press, Lagos, Nigeria | Sun, 01/23/2011 8:11 PM
U.S. diplomatic cables released by the
WikiLeaks website claim late Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua had a
kidney transplant before becoming the leader of Africa's most
populous nation.
The cables claim Yar'Adua had the transplant in 2002, while still
governor of the northern state of Katsina. Yar'Adua stood as the
presidential candidate for the ruling People's Democratic Party in
2007 - despite the apparent knowledge of party insiders about his
debilitated condition.
The cables suggest Yar'Adua's handlers stuffed his clothes to
hide his weight loss and used makeup on the ailing leader. The
cables suggest he apparently needed another transplant, but didn't
leave the country.
Yar'Adua died in May 2010, propelling Vice President Goodluck
Jonathan into the presidency.
