To stave off criticisms about the recent visits of four Muslim clerics, Turai, the wife of ailing Nigerian leader Umaru Yar’Adua, today invited four leading Christian leaders, namely John Onaiyekan, David Oyedepo, Reverend Emmanuel Kure and Reverend Yusuf Obaje, President Olusegun Obasanjo’s former chaplain to meet with her husband. The meeting took place between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. at the presidential villa, where Yar’Adua continues to receive treatment for a debilitating disease known as Churg Strauss Syndrome.

Reverend Emmanuel Kure is from Throneroom Trust ministry in Kaduna, Onaiyakan is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Abuja and one time President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, David Oyedepo is the flamboyant pastor and jet-set cleric of the prosperity-preaching Winners Chapel, while Obaje is formerly Obasanjo’s chaplain.

The religious leaders met with Yar’Adua for close to five minutes and reportedly said prayers with him. He was unable to speak or stand up but one of them told our reporters that at the end of the session, the ailing leader chanted a grunt that sounded like “Amen”.

Last week’s visits by four Muslim cleric drew widespread outrage especially as one of the visitors to Yar’Adua, Dr. Ahmad Datti, gave incendiary comments in a newspaper warning Acting President Goodluck Jonathan not to take over power from Yar’Adua regardless of his medical condition.

A source told Saharareporters today that the Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda, Yar’Adua’s son-in-law who was instrumental in cobbling together the christian leaders for today’s visit was very happy when it took place. He expressed the view that with the christian leader’s visit, they might be able to bring Yar’Adua to retake power at the end of April, something medical sources dispute.

It would be recalled that long before any of the recent visits to Yar’Adua by anyone, Saharareporters had consistently reported that Yar’Adua’s condition had left him unable to speak or walk.