Ill President Umaru Yar'Adua returned home Wednesday after a three-month stay at a Saudi Arabian hospital, but left his second-in-command in control of the oil-rich country's fragile democracy. A statement Wednesday from presidential spokesman Olusegun Adeniyi said Goodluck Jonathan would continue to serve as acting president. That decision appears to protect Jonathan's position, as Nigeria's lawmakers used extraconstitutional means to put him into power two weeks ago. It also raises questions about Yar'Adua's health, as shaky television footage showed an ambulance leaving the presidential wing of the capital airport but offered no images of a leader who hasn't been seen publicly since leaving Nigeria on Nov. 23. “President Yar'Adua wishes to reassure all Nigerians that on account of their unceasing prayers and by the special grace of God, his health has greatly improved,” the statement read. “However, while the president completes his recuperation, Vice President Jonathan will continue to oversee the affairs of state.”
