Abuja — GOVERNORS will today meet with the leadership of the National Assembly (NASS) over the health of President Umaru Yar'Adua, who left for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia 78 days ago without transferring power to Vice President Goodluck Jonathan.

On another front, a delegation of five members of the House of Representatives arrived Saudi Arabia on Monday to deliver a goodwill message to him and to urge him to hand over to Jonathan.

Back in Abuja, however, Senators are all tensed up over the speculated arrival of a vacation letter from Yar'Adua that would comply with Section 145 of the Constitution and enable Jonathan to act in his stead.

A source disclosed that Senate plenary today will be broadcast live on television.

The letter was said to have been sent to Senate President David Mark on Monday morning, but Jonathan is reportedly unaware of its existence or transmission.

There are conflicting reports over whether Yar'Adua has complied with the Senate resolution on January 12 which urged him to write to the legislature on his medical leave.

At the meeting of his kitchen cabinet on Monday afternoon, one group, as affirmed by two Senators, said Yar'Adua has sent in the letter, but another group insisted that, "He would never write such a letter."

A ranking Senator narrated that they "were told not to ask how the letter came, much in the same manner we were told not to ask how (Yar'Adua) signed the 2009 supplementary budget."

Senators plan to meet with the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) in camera, where the Governors would brief them on their resolution on February 4 which urged the NASS to declare Jonathan acting President.

A lawmaker said the meeting will be without prejudice to Section 145, and will be based on the fact that the Senate, though bound by the Constitution, "Can regulate its own procedures which include receiving communication from the acting President.

"It is not in all cases that the Senate needs any concurrence with the House of Representatives. For instance, in confirming Ministerial nominees from the President and in confirming appointments into federal parastatals, the Senate acts alone."

Attempts would be made to persuade the Senate that Yar'Adua "has already transmitted to the nation, including the (NASS), his incapacity to rule for now based on his interview on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on January 12."

Senators would be told that, going by the interview on the BBC, he "has admitted that he is incapacitated for the time being and would only resume when his doctors confirm him fit.

"After the meeting, the Senate would approve a motion which would recognise (Jonathan) as acting President.

"Thereafter, the Senate may write the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Yayale Ahmed, intimating him of its resolution which would be communicated to Jonathan and Chief Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu.

"(Yar'Adua) can assume his position whenever he comes back. He said so himself that he would be back whenever his doctors certify him fit to resume work."

But the identity of the mover of the motion is kept under wraps, as the Senator initially penciled down to move the motion may not be the one to do so.

Whatever happens, the top shots in the NASS and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been assured of keeping their positions "because there is no need to rezone the positions before 2011.

"Even if Jonathan becomes acting President, he would only be completing Yar'Adua's Presidency, that is assuming Yar'Adua does not return to office before 2011."

The expected Senate resolution will reflect a deal between Senators and Governors.

"The National Assembly is hampered by Sections 143 and 144, but we have seen a breakthrough in Section 145 which talks about transmission of a letter.

"Yar'Adua's BBC interview, though verbal, suffices for now."