Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in on Sunday following an election seen as the fairest in two decades, but he faces a divided nation after deadly post-poll riots. Jonathan was inaugurated amid tight security at a colourful ceremony with full military honours, including a fly-past in the capital of Abuja.
In an oath administered by chief justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, the fedora-wearing Jonathan swore that he will be “faithful and bear true allegiance” to Nigeria and “discharge my duties to the best of my abilities.” The 53-year-old southern Christian comfortably beat his main opponent, an ex-military ruler from the mainly Muslim north, in the April 16 vote that was followed by three days of rioting leaving more than 800 people dead.
The rioting and massacres spread across the north of Africa’s most populous nation, with victims hacked, burnt or shot to death. Mobs torched churches and mosques, attacked shops and beat people after pulling them from cars. Security surrounded the inauguration venue, the city’s Eagle Square, with roads blocked for several kilometres. Twin bombs went off outside the same square during last October’s independence celebrations.
A total of 10,000 police, military and state security services personnel were deployed, backed by two helicopters. As an additional security measure, all mobile phone services were suspended in Abuja following a government directive, according to a message sent to clients. Jonathan, Nigeria’s first president from the oil-producing Niger Delta region, sought to put the violence behind him at the elaborate ceremony attended by about two dozen heads of states, mainly from Africa.
Among those present were newly elected Ivorian leader Alassane Ouattara, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Jacob Zuma of South Africa and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. Former colonial power Britain was represented by Minister for Africa Henry Bellingham. Suspicion remains in the north of Nigeria, where many accuse Jonathan’s ruling People’s Democratic Party of vote rigging and reject observers’ reports calling the election a step forward for the continent’s largest oil producer, despite some flaws.
