PRESIDENTIAL hopeful and governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, was last night flown to Germany for medical attention, following what was generally described as a "sudden degeneration of health."

Yar'Adua, candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the coming presidential election, was flown in an air ambulance from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 8.30 p.m.

He had reportedly developed a health problem during the party's campaign in Benin City, Edo State, after which construction giant, Julius Berger, was contacted to make arrangement for his flight abroad.

The state of health of the governor had been subject of much speculation, right from when he emerged the presidential candidate of the ruling party late last year.

Yar'Adua had, however, denied the rumour and, in fact challenged his critics to a game of squash.

President Olusegun Obasanjo had also denied the speculation which he attributed to opposition parties. But what started as a mere speculation all over the country yesterday was confirmed as reality when PDP had to admit its candidate was having health problems.

The national secretary of the ruling party, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, last night, however, issued a statement confirming that Yar'Adua had gone into a hospital for medical check-up.

The Guardian learnt yesterday that some top members of the PDP deplored Maduekwe's disclosure of the development.

The party's scribe in the statement admitted that the "process of medical investigation" by Yar'Adua could necessitate foreign treatment, but added that it was only a "routine medical check-up."

Maduekwe also said that the foreign trip was a "short break in the presidential candidate's schedule."

His statement read: "Our candidate in the general election, His Excellency, Governor Umaru Yar'Adua, took time off today from what has generally been a gruelling national campaign schedule for everyone, to present himself for a routine medical check-up at a clinic in Abuja. This is an exercise, which the demand of the campaign had understandably not permitted the candidate the necessary time to effect.

Disclosing the party's efforts at safeguarding the health of its presidential candidate, Maduekwe said: "In fact, the national chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, a physician himself, spoke with the presidential candidate and suggested to him that his keenness and eagerness to continue to exert himself on the campaign should be moderated by his still attending to what was expected to be a routine medical check-up."

The party's scribe continued: "The candidate spoke with the President who is the leader of the party today. He spoke with the deputy national chairman and the director-general of the presidential campaign, Chief Olabode George. The culmination of all this is that he went on his own to a clinic for a medical check-up which is long over-due."

Maduekwe disclosed further: "In full consultation with his personal physician, a decision was subsequently taken today that the process of medical investigation could benefit from facilities overseas at this early stage of the campaign since more weeks of a challenging campaign still lie ahead."

Giving a hint of the plan to fly Yar'Adua abroad, the party said: "Accordingly, Governor Yar'Adua is expected to be briefly away for the completion of a medical process which began today in Nigeria. There is no cause for alarm. The presidential candidate is expected to return early to continue the national campaign, which has so far elicited a historic groundswell of support, solidarity and enthusiasm from millions of party faithful and voters anxious of the continuation of the PDP government at all levels."

He added: "We wish our presidential candidate God's continued protection as he proceeds on this short break."