Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn in on Monday May 29 in Abuja to officially become the new president of Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa entangled in the economic slump and serious insecurity. Despite the investiture, part of the opposition continues to contest the results of the February 25 elections.
” I, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will perform my duties and functions honestly, to the best of my abilities, faithfully and in accordance with the Constitution. God bless us declared the new president during his inauguration ceremony in Abuja, the federal capital.
Several Nigerian officials as well as leaders from the continent gathered at Eagle Square in Abuja, including Presidents Nana Akufo-Addo from Ghana, Cyril Ramaphosa from South Africa, Paul Biya from Cameroon and Paul Kagame from Rwanda. In front of them and thousands of other guests in Eagle Square, the Nigerian head of state set the big lines of his mandate. Its priority will be the fight against any form of crime “. For Bola Tinubu, a new doctrine against insecurity is needed as the country has been plagued, in particular, by a jihadist insurrection for 14 years in the Northeast.
Another project is to relaunch growth with the help of a new industrial policy and tax measures that should promote local production. It must be said that he inherited a difficult economic situation, with double-digit inflation and an explosion of debt.
Nigerian Bola Tinubu sworn in as President of the Republic
A presidential election still contested by the opposition
The 71-year-old, ethnic Yoruba leader from the south-west of the country finally paid tribute to his predecessor and party colleague, Muhammadu Buhari, and promised ” to ensure the sacred mandate » that he confided to her. The latter, an 80-year-old former general, is a Fulani from the North and retired after a record deemed very disappointing and two terms, as required by the Constitution.
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The investiture was held three months after the February 25 presidential election, the result of which is contested by the two main opposition candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, who denounce massive fraud by the ruling party. Their legal actions are currently under review.
Nicknamed ” the kingmaker ” Or ” the Godfather “, because of his immense political influenceBola Tinubu had campaigned, stressing that it was “ his turn to lead the continent’s leading economy. He had highlighted his experience at the head of Lagos, Nigeria’s locomotive, which he governed from 1999 to 2007. Many claim that this shrewd politician and businessman helped modernize and secure the economic capital of 20 million people. They hope it will have a similar impact on the rest of the country. But the new president is also targeted by corruption charges, which he has always denied, but has never been convicted. His health is also a matter of concern.
(And with AFP)