Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and 26 of the 36 governors elected during the troubled April general elections were sworn in to office on 29 May, Nigeria’s ‘Democracy Day’. Over 38 heads of state attended the inauguration, held at Eagle Square in the country’s capital Abuja. In his speech, President Jonathan – Nigeria’s fifth civilian leader since independence from Britain in 1960 – said he was on a mission to totally transform the ‘giant of Africa’ and the world’s most populous black nation, with over 150 million people.
But first, the president said he must unite Nigeria’s diverse people to ensure that any transformation he brings during his four-year term survives.
“The march is on. The day of transformation begins today,” he said. “We will not allow anyone exploit differences in creed or tongue, to set us one against another.”
President Jonathan said the creation of much needed employment was an important issue that cannot be prioritised enough.
“We must grow the economy, create jobs, and generate enduring happiness for our people,” he said. “I have great confidence in the ability of Nigerians to transform this country. The urgent task of my administration is to provide a suitable environment, for productive activities to flourish.”
To do that, the former Nigerian vice president, who took the top office in May 2010 following the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua, said he has already embarked on power sector reform as part of his administration’s “industrialisation strategy”. He urged all stakeholders to support his plans.
Stressing that he alone cannot bring the much overdue changes, President Jonathan called on Nigerians at home and abroad to join forces with him as he begins both restoring Nigeria’s ‘lost glory’ as well as building a new egalitarian nation.
“Nigeria is not just a land of promise; it shall be a nation where positive change will continue to take place, for the good of our people. The time for lamentation is over. This is the era of transformation. This is the time for action,” he said.
“But Nigeria can only be transformed if we all play our parts with commitment and sincerity. Cynicism and skepticism will not help our journey to greatness. Let us all believe in a new Nigeria. Let us work together to build a great country that we will all be proud of. This is our hour.”
President Jonathan’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won the 16 April polls with nearly 60 per cent of the vote, comfortably defeating two of his closest opponents – former military head of state Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and former police chair of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu (Action Congress of Nigeria). Neither man attended the inauguration.
Buhari alleges widespread rigging of the election, and has petitioned the Presidential Election Tribunal. More than 800 people are believed to have been killed in violence that followed the announcement of the presidential election result.
