Nigeria: Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in for a second term yesterday after a disputed election gave him a last chance to steer Africa's most populous nation out of economic morass and instability.
If Mr Obasanjo serves out a full mandate he will accomplish a first for Nigeria. Africa's top oil exporter has been under military control for much of the time since independence from Britain in 1960, and has never had two successive elected governments.
President Obasanjo's second and final term starts amid serious acrimony, with the opposition saying his April 19th election was rigged. It had been unclear if the inauguration would go ahead, but on Tuesday a court rejected an opposition attempt to block it.
Mr Obasanjo pledged to try to heal the deep rifts. "I intend to use my mandate to provide quality leadership for all of Nigeria and for all Nigerians, regardless of their political persuasions," he said before thousands of invited guests, including scores of African presidents.
"Anything less would be unconstitutional, morally inadequate, and contrary to the will of God whose wishes are my command," added the 66-year-old born-again Christian.
A phalanx of paramilitary police wielding automatic weapons ringed the venue in the inland capital Abuja after opposition parties threatened to disrupt the event.
There was no immediate report of any incident in Abuja or the 36 other cities where state governors elected in the same polls were inaugurated. President Obasanjo's main challenger and fellow former military ruler, Mr Muhammadu Buhari, is leading the opposition's campaign against what it says was massive vote-rigging. Though Mr Buhari failed to stop the inauguration, the Court of Appeal will start hearing his substantive challenge on June 23rd.