Nigeria Content Online

Goodluck Jonathan
has accepted the resignation of the National Security Adviser, Aliyu
Mohammed Gusau, a retired Lieutenant General, the presidency confirmed
yesterday.

A four-paragraph
statement by the special adviser to the president on media and
publicity, Ima Niboro, stated that Mr Gusau had in a letter to the
president dated Thursday, September 16, 2010, “informed the President
of his desire to play an active part in the 2011 electoral process.
Consequently, he requested the President’s permission to vacate the
Office of National Security Adviser.” Mr Gusau, who said all
de-briefing had already been done by Friday last week and only the hand
over note to his successor was waiting to be delivered, added that his
step towards resignation was the right thing to do.

“It was the right
thing to do for my family,” he said. “As for the future, we leave
everything to the will of Almighty God,” he said, confirming his
resignation to NEXT in a brief telephone discussion on Sunday.

The statement from the president’s spokesman added that “His resignation takes effect from Monday, September 20, 2010”.

Mr Gusau, who was
recalled as NSA during the Olusegun Obasanjo regime, was appointed in
April this year by Mr Jonathan for the fifth time to serve in the same
capacity, taking over from Sarki Mukhtar, had nursed his presidential
ambitions since 2007.

Democracy works

Shortly after the
presidency confirmed his resignation, Mr Gusau was seen coming out of
his office at the presidential villa with his ex-deputy. He was
accosted by journalists who wanted to know why he chose to go against
his friend and now ex-boss Mr Jonathan and what he intends to do for
Nigeria.

Speaking on his
next move, he said though he contested and lost the primaries in 2007,
“I consider that now that I have a chance, I will give it a shot again”.

Mr Gusau, when
asked why he chose to contest against Mr Jonathan, his close friend,
said, “No, no. This is democracy and that is to show you how democracy
works”. He was confident that he would not be on the losing side at the
primaries, as he said, “We will go there and I can’t say I am going to
lose”.

When asked of his
previous association with Babangida, who is also contesting on the same
platform, the former military general said, “If you go to England, you
find Ed Milliband and David Milliband, of same parents, contesting
against each other”. On what makes him want to go through the route
again after losing, he said he had gone through it before and now knows
how rough it is.

Mr Gusau said his vision for Nigeria will be unveiled when he has an open declaration.