Umaru Yar’Adua took office as President of Nigeria on Tuesday, promising to tackle a catalogue of crises in Africa’s most populous nation and conceding that his own election was ”not perfect”.
International observers said the poll that brought the 56-year-old former state governor to power was ”not credible” because of widespread vote-rigging and violence.
In his inaugural address at a military parade ground in the capital, Abuja, Yar’Adua began by saying there were ”lapses and shortcomings” in the vote. He urged losers to use legal avenues for redress and promised to make electoral reform a national priority.
”Our experiences have presented an opportunity to learn from our mistakes,” the former chemistry lecturer said.
He spelled out priorities, including an end to violence in the oil-producing Niger Delta, job creation, strengthening the police and improving erratic power supplies.
The handover was billed as a democratic landmark in Nigeria because it is the first transfer from one civilian leader to another in a nation scarred by decades of army misrule. But the flawed election wiped the gloss off the occasion.
Washington and former colonial ruler Britain sent relatively junior envoys to the event, and only a handful of African heads of state showed up.
Yar’Adua, a Muslim and former socialist, praised his predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo, for laying the foundations for economic growth. He pledged to reduce inflation and interest rates and keep the exchange rate stable.
Niger Delta
Yar’Adua said spiralling violence in the oil-producing Niger Delta, which has hit the country’s economic lifeline, will command his ”urgent attention”.
”We will move quickly in securing lives and property and making investments safe. In the meantime, I urge all aggrieved communities, groups and individuals to immediately suspend all violent activities and respect the law. Let us allow the dialogue to take place in a conducive atmosphere,” he said.
He also pledged to pursue a ”dramatic improvement” in power supply, and carry through an ambitious plan to build a nationwide railway network.
Analysts say one of Yar’Adua’s biggest challenges will be how to handle his predecessor, who picked Yar’Adua from obscurity six months ago and made him president. Many Nigerians suspect Obasanjo wants to use him as a puppet, though both men have denied this.
In the dying days of his administration, Obasanjo lifted fuel prices by 15%, doubled value-added tax and sold off two oil refineries to his business allies — all moves that have inflamed the opposition and civil society groups.
Obasanjo also took some delicate decisions that should have been left to the new government, such as reshuffling army top brass and nominating National Assembly leaders.
Many Nigerians hope Yar’Adua will break free from his predecessor, whom critics accuse of an autocratic leadership style, hypocrisy in his war on corruption, and cronyism.
”Yar’Adua is honest. The problem is that Obasanjo drew him out, so he has to obey Obasanjo. He does not have freedom,” said Ola, a construction worker in the capital. — Reuters