TEN YEARS AGO BUHARI AND TINUBU ASKED YARADUA TO RESIGN DUE TO HIS ILL HEALTH.

"Now our dear country is living on the edge and hanging dangerously with FEC adrift, while the National Assembly has lost touch with reality; and the word 'national exigency' has since lost meaning to the remnants of the ruling party (Peoples Democratic Party). Therefore, the President (Yar'Adua) must be told, without further delay, to transmit his authority to Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to take charge of the country, in accordance with Section 145 of the Constitution.

"I recognise his love for his country but this is the time to show that love for his country by putting the nation's interest above self, and not be misled by those selfish advisers. He has already made history be being elected as President of Nigeria. So, he must not destroy that democratic institution from which he has benefitted," he had said.

About two months after Tinubu's painstaking statement, specifically on Tuesday, March 9 - reclined in a couch, in his Kaduna home - playing host to chieftains of the National Unity Forum, who had paid him a visit, the former military head of state and then presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party in the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections, Buhari, made a call that made front-page headlines the following day.

He had reportedly called for the impeachment of Yar'Adua. According to Buhari back then, impeaching the former Katsina State governor could save the country from the political impasse Yar'Adua's lingering ill-health had caused.

In sheer fervour, Buhari called on the Federal Executive Council to save the nation from the political logjam by declaring Yar'Adua incapacitated, arguing that such declaration would pave the way for his impeachment by the National Assembly.

Condemning the failure of the FEC and federal legislative body to impeach Yar'Adua, Buhari said, "Political expediency won't remedy this kind of problem because if the FEC had acted in accordance with the constitution, by invoking the necessary sections to declare the President incapacitated, we would not have found ourselves in this present situation.

"As you can see, adopting extra-constitutional measures have not addressed the problem. If it had, we would not have been subjected to the raging debates and controversy going on. So, we must go back to the constitution. FEC must do the right thing, because once we start moving away from the constitution, then we are inviting anarchy."