Umaru Yar’Adua went to Saudi Arabia for treatment in November 2009 and despite returning home in February has still not been seen in public.

Mr Jonathan gave no indication whether the president’s condition had improved.

He said he had not seen the president’s doctor but said he had spoken to his wife three times. 

In terms of the last time we really had sustained discussions, that was 26 November Goodluck Jonathan

“I’ve not seen the doctor. I have had – on about three occasions – discussions with his wife,” he told the BBC’s Network Africa programme.

“And I’ve had discussions with some of the other aides.

“In terms of the last time we [Mr Jonathan and Mr Yar’Adua] really had sustained discussions, that was 26 November – I think so – yeah,” he said.

Mr Yar’Adua was flown to hospital in Saudi Arabia three days earlier, on 23 November.

Mr Jonathan said Mr Yar’Adua’s doctor had not tried to contact him.

“He [the doctor] has not come to me. I don’t want to compel him,” said the acting president.

‘Text message prosecutions’

In his interview, Mr Jonathan also touched on clashes in Jos, where tensions between Muslims and Christians since the start of the year have left many dead.

YAR’ADUA ILLNESS TIMELINE 23 Nov 2009: Goes to hospital in Saudi Arabia 26 Nov: Doctors say he has pericarditis, a heart problem 23 Dec: First court case filed urging him to step down 12 Jan: President gives telephone interview from Saudi Arabia 27 Jan: Cabinet declares president fit 9 Feb: Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan made acting president 24 Feb: President Yar’Adua returns home

He promised to persecute those behind text messages inciting the violence, which he said was ethnic, rather than religious.

He explained that most of the indigenous population in Jos were Christian, while “some – not all” of the settlers were Muslim.

“So if anything touches a settler who is a Muslim, it will be interpreted as if they are attacking the Muslims,” he said.

“And if the settlers that are Muslim now touched the indigenous population that are Christian, it will be interpreted as the Christians are being attacked.”

Mr Jonathan thought the time for talking was over, and those responsible for committing crimes in Jos should be prosecuted.

“Anybody that is remotely or directly linked up with the crisis should be prosecuted,” he said.