President Yar'Adua

President Musa Yar’Adua yesterday opened up about his health condition admitting that he has been suffering from kidney problems since 2000. This is the first time the Nigerian President has admitted to his health situation weeks after returning from a German hospital where he had been rushed to with swollen skin on April 14 and was diagnosed with Churg Strauss Syndrome, an inflammation of the blood vessel.

“I went to the National Hospital and a test was conducted. It was from there that a decision was taken that I should go to Germany. I was in Germany in 2006 because I had my medical record there. And in 2000, I had a kidney problem. I decided to go to Germany to have my check-up.” President Yar’Adua said in his first Democracy Day Media Chat.

According to the President, “The interesting thing is that people did not believe a statement that was officially issued, and they did not believe what was officially issued, why did they believe rumour?”

“Before I traveled to Germany, my Special Adviser on Communication, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, issued a statement on what was wrong. His statement was clear enough. “In the statement, he said I had a reaction to drugs administered to me to treat malaria. That was the case. I had had malaria for four days and then took drugs, and it did not go.

“My doctor got another doctor from Julius Berger Clinic. They came and gave me a new drug. I took it and the malaria was gone. The next thing was that my face got swollen up. The doctors said it was the effect of the drugs.

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Yar’Adua told Nigerians during the democracy day media chat that only God can determine how long he would live as president of Nigeria. He said, “I can die tomorrow, I may die next month and I may live up to 90. I can not guarantee how long I will live. And I am not a super human being.”

It would be recalled that even as Governor of Katsina State, he was always in and out of hospitals at home and abroad for what is believed to be a kidney related ailment. When he emerged as presidential candidate, some members of his party kicked, arguing that Yar'Adua was not fit for the rigors of the office.