Nigeria’s government of ambiguity ends

I imagine my colleague and FP’s resident Nigeria hand Beth Dickinson is in an airport somewhere kicking herself for taking a vacation the week of the year’s biggest Nigerian story.  Sad as Nigerians may be at the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua last night, I would imagine there must also be some relief that the ...

By , a former associate editor at Foreign Policy.
ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP/Getty Images)
ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP/Getty Images)
ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP/Getty Images)

I imagine my colleague and FP's resident Nigeria hand Beth Dickinson is in an airport somewhere kicking herself for taking a vacation the week of the year's biggest Nigerian story

I imagine my colleague and FP’s resident Nigeria hand Beth Dickinson is in an airport somewhere kicking herself for taking a vacation the week of the year’s biggest Nigerian story

Sad as Nigerians may be at the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua last night, I would imagine there must also be some relief that the country’s political stalemate has come to an end with the official swearing in of Goodluck Jonathan as the country’s president. Yar’adua has been unable to perform his duties for months and was last seen in public last November. Jonathan was finally made acting president in January, but the chain of command has remained ambiguous and the resulting power vacuum highly dangerous.  

This hasn’t exactly been an uneventful period for Nigeria with the breakdown of a ceasefire with the MEND rebels in Nigeria, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s attempted terrorist attack on Christmas day, and religious violence that has claimed hundreds of lives. The ambiguous leadership situation has been confusing for foreign governments, including the United States, as well. Goodluck is far from ideal, but this combustible country needs a functioning government and it’s a shame that it took this long to acknowledge that Yar’Adua wasn’t coming back.

On the other hand, it seems enouraging that despite all the intrigue and opportunities for foul play during this crisis, Nigeria’s constitutional government is still standing and power has been peacefully passed to a new leader. Given recent events next door, that’s not nothing.  

Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating

Tag: Africa

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