Saharareporters, New York

An aggressive attempt by President Obasanjo to replace Atiku ran into a major snag yesternight as his anointed “presidential candidate”, ailing governor of Katsina State, Umar Yar’Ardua rejected the offer from Obasanjo to replace Vice President Abubakar Atiku. 

A reliable source told Saharareporters that President Obasanjo, due to what his aides termed, “the unpopular candidature” of Umar Yar’ardua had contemplated that making Yar’Adrua the VP at this time will boost his chances in the upcoming elections in 2007. But Yar’Ardua was quoted as telling Obasanjo that he cannot find any constitutional basis for accepting the VP position from the president, since he is still battling with the legitimacy of his candidature amongst party faithfuls, especially state governors said to have massively abandoned him since he was imposed on the PDP by Obasanjo and his cronies.

Our source said that the Presidential aircraft earlier seized from Atiku had already been stationed to pick up Umar Yardua for what ought to have been a swearing in ceremony, however the trip had been cancelled and the jet returned to Abuja .It is not clear if anyone have accepted the position as at press time or if Obasanjo intend to shield his sword as he is being told not to embark on this mission by constitutional experts set up by one of his close friends from the Southwest.