On Monday in Abuja, Nigeria officially swore in Bola Ahmed Tinubu, 71, as its new president, as the country is facing an economic crisis and insecurity.
During his inauguration ceremony in Abuja, the new president declared: “As President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I shall discharge my duties and functions honestly, to the best of my ability, faithfully and by the Constitution”.
A large security detail was deployed in the capital for the inauguration ceremony of the new president, which was attended by many African heads of state, including the presidents of Ghana, South Africa, and Cameroon, Nana Akufo-Addo, Cyril Ramaphosa, and Paul Biya.
The new leader of Yoruba ethnicity thus succeeds Muhammadu Buhari, the former general who stepped down after two terms in office, as provided for in the Constitution.
Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi denounced massive fraud by the ruling party during the presidential election held on 25th February, three months before the inauguration ceremony took place.
Mr. Tinubu, nicknamed “the godfather” because of his immense political influence, had campaigned by stressing that it was “his turn” to lead the continent’s leading economy, highlighting his experience at the head of Lagos, Nigeria’s powerhouse, which he governed from 1999 to 2007.
Indeed, many have claimed that this politician and businessman helped to modernize and secure the economic capital of 20 million inhabitants, and hope that he will have a similar impact on the rest of the country. However, the new president is the target of accusations of corruption, which he has always denied.
Mr. Tinubu will have to turn around the country’s economy. One of the main challenges facing oil-rich Nigeria is that it exchanges crude worth billions of dollars for imported fuel due to the failure of its refineries.
Another priority for the new government will be to combat insecurity. The country faces a jihadist insurgency in the northeast, criminal gangs ravaging the northwest and center, and separatist unrest in the southeast.