President Umaru Yar'Adua is dead
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 7:44PM 
A spokesman, who did not want to be named, said Mr Yar'Adua died on Wednesday, although there has been no official announcement yet.
Mr Yar'Adua, who became president in 2007, had been ill for some time, and had not been seen in public for months.
After much wrangling, Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan was accepted as acting president in February.
Reports from Nigeria said Mr Yar'Adua died between 2100 (2000 GMT) and 2200 (2100 GMT) on Wednesday at his presidential residence in the capital, Abuja.
In November, Mr Yar'Adua went to a hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for several months, during which time he was not heard from.
He returned to Nigeria, but Mr Jonathan remained as acting president.
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Reader Comments (1)
Considering the controversies arising based on Mr. President's whereabout in the past few months, i think the official announcement of his dead will pave way for the nation's development. Yet, his selfless attitude towards governance deserve praises and commendations, we pray for his soul to rest in peace. Nigerian leaders should now focus on the interest of the general populace and save us front daily political headaches.