PRESIDENT YAR'ADUA OFF TO SAUDI ARABIA

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua is in Saudi Arabia to meet with his doctors today, to assess the true state of his ailment. Mr. Yar'Adua is suffering from severe kidney problems.
Since the president left for Saudi Arabia last week Friday for medical check-up and to perform the lesser Hadj, tongues have been wagging over the state of his health.
It was gathered however that Mr. Yar'Adua who was officially received as a guest of the Saudi royalty is currently residing in one of the palatial guest houses of King Fahd Ibn Abdulazeez of Saudi Arabia as the king's special guest.
Mr. Yar'Adua gets special treatment from the Saudi royalty as the leader of the most populous Muslim country in Africa.
The president's guest house is located within the proximity of the Kaabah. Sources say the one Mr. Yar'Adua is staying in was renovated with about $135million in 2007.
President Yar'Adua placed a call to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Adamu Aliero between 2pm and 3pm on Monday and spoke with the minister for almost half-an-hour. Sources close to Mr. Aliero told newsmen that the "conversation sounded like the president was in unusually high spirits."
The president's medical check-up has been slated to take place today, according to a source.
Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto State is expected to meet with the president in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Wamakko left Sokoto for Saudi Arabia via Kano yesterday.