Lagos — It was a steady, tortuous, but dangerous climb. Heartbeats quickened, releasing torrents of hot blood through toughened veins that stood out of anxious faces. Danger loomed as the climbing rope continued to wear out.

At each cracking sound released by the breaking of another strand, the spectators watching far and near flinched.

But just before the last fibre gave way for the inevitable plunge to the jagged rock below, and to sure death, fate again came to the rescue and gave a little push.

Now, having got a foothold on a flat surface, danger appears to have retreated. There seems enough time to catch a breadth, reassess strategies, evaluate existing options and retool vital equipment in order to continue the journey.

Again Nigeria lives, saved once again by that unseen hand that has often brought it out of the most threatening situations, some of which have wreaked calamity elsewhere.

Indeed, for a little of the strain this country has borne, others have gone up in flames; cataclysmic eruptions of inter-tribal conflicts, social disorders, intractable political clashes, and internecine wars that continue to claim lives. Many nations have fragmented and gone separate ways as a result.

But events in the last three months have again proved that fate is, indeed, kind to Nigeria.

It all started with the usual heavy "rumours" in the country a few days earlier about the state of health of President Umaru Yar'Adua, a well known issue, but which the President and his goons in Aso Rock and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would rather conceal from the public - notwithstanding that the best practices, as in other countries, dictate that a President's health condition is a public affair, and that keeping it in the dark is a moral burden with dire consequences.

Of course, there were the initial denials. But on November 23 last year, the inevitable happened. Because the issue of life is and would remain above human manipulation and management, everything had to come into the open, when it was clear that Yar'Adua could not be said to be playing squash, when he would actually be sitting atop a dialysis machine.

In the first official admission of his poor health, his Spokesman, Olusegun Adeniyi, had explained how he had suddenly taken ill and had to be flown to Saudi Arabia for treatment.

To underscore the level of official cover, the statement Adeniyi read was not his, but that of Presidential Chief Physician, Salisu Banye.

It was decided, Adeniyi said, that Yar'Adua should "undertake confirmatory checks at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he had his last medical check-up in August. The medical review and tests undertaken at the hospital have confirmed the initial diagnosis that the President is indeed suffering from acute pericarditis."

Though the announcement brought relief to many Nigerians - who had fed from the rumour mills a few hours before, including the one that claimed that Yar'Adua was no more - it began a separate chapter altogether, one that kept the country marooned in a huge pall of uncertainty.

Many had expected his second in command, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, to take it from there. But no! Instead of that happening as a natural cause of events, the nation was subjected to an awful period of sustained intrigues, half-truths, and outright lies, akin to what Fela Anikulapo-Kuti wittily referred to as "government magic."

The hullabaloo that followed was hinged on an obviously innocuous, but critical aspect of the Constitution. Known as Section 145, it deals with what should be done at a time like this.

It states that, "Whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such functions shall be discharged by the Vice President as acting President."

Because Yar'Adua failed to transmit such a letter, many, who by their conduct, appeared to obviously detest the idea of Jonathan taking charge, had clung to it to have their way.

A profuse argument ensued on what powers Jonathan enjoyed and his limits. Elements like the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who seemed to be more interested in the letter of the Constitution, had maintained that Jonathan had no inhibition whatsoever to perform all duties ascribed to the President, except that such actions must be on behalf of the President.

Others insisted that he must assume full powers, with the capacity to take critical decisions, as acting President, as envisaged by the spirit of the Constitution.

To boost their position, a ruling delivered by Justice Dan Abutu of the Federal High Court, Abuja backed Aondoakaa and his group.

However, another dimension was added when the same Abutu gave the Federal Executive Council (FEC) 14 days to ascertain the health of Yar'Adua.

Surprisingly, the FEC, which had appeared reluctant to carry out this function, another constitutional provision, came out with a verdict that the he is fit enough to carry out his function.

Thus, the nation returned to square one, as it were, with Jonathan unable to go beyond his constitutionally assigned duties. But then, the nation remained in a state of limbo, without focus or direction.

However, the silver lining appeared to have emerged with many Nigerians relied upon to save the situation standing up to be counted.

The NASS, in a rare move apparently meant to stem the slide into the bottomless pit of hopelessness and clear danger to the polity, resolved on Tuesday that Jonathan to take over.

It bought the argument that an interview granted to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) where Yar'Adua clearly indicated his state of health and inability to "resume" duties until his doctors say so, was the constitutional leeway the NASS needed to act, as it said it was enough transmission.

Before then, even the FEC had become divided, with Information and Communications Minister, Dora Akunyili, breaking ranks last week when she demanded that Yar'Adua should hand over to Jonathan.

Of course, no less personalities than former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, and former President Shehu Shagari, leading other statesmen, had echoed the minds of Nigerians from all works of life, including the group led by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, that this is the right way to go.

Now Jonathan seems to have got the constitutional backing he requires, all eyes are on him to move the nation forward. How he does it, remains to be seen. The world is watching.