Nigeria: Goodluck Jonathan sworn in

  1. Posted on Thursday 6 May 2010 - 09:59
    Hussaini
    Image of Hussaini
    Hussaini Umar, AfricaNews reporter in Kano, Nigeria
    Acting President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan has been sworn in as head of state in a brief ceremony at the Abuja Presidential Villa hours after the death of substantive president Umaru Yar'Adua.
    Goodluck Jonathan sworn in
    Yar'Adua died late on Wednesday in the capital Abuja after protracted illness.

    A new deputy is expected to be announced by Jonathan, who has been at the helm of affairs since February to serve the remaining presidential term until next year’s election.

    There would be seven days of national mourning.

    According to AfricaNews reporter the remains of Yar’Adua would be laid to rest in his Katsina hometown at about 2 p.m. on Thursday.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed, disclosed that the burial time was to allow dignitaries and foreign Heads of Government to attend the ceremony.

    Born in Katsina in August 1951, Yar'Adua was a devout Muslim who hailed from a distinguished political family.

    His father was a minister in the first post-independence cabinet and his elder brother, Shehu, was number two in the military government of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo from 1976 to 1979.

    He was educated at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained a B.Sc in Education/Chemistry in 1975 and M.Sc in Analytical Chemistry in 1980.

    Yar’Adua began his professional life as a chemistry teacher before going into business in the 1980s.
    He contested and won election as Katsina State governor in 1999 and was re-elected in 2003.

    Yar’Adua was the first governor to publicly declare his assets and promised to do same again at the end of his tenure, according to the Nigeria news agency.

Latest News

  1. OPINION: Welcome to African Green Revolution24/05For the past century and a half, Africa has tried various agricultural approaches without much success.
  2. Egyptians vote in historic election23/05Egyptians began voting freely on Wednesday for the first time to pick their president in a wide open election that pits Islamists against men who serv…
  3. Africa Day 2012 - a moment for reflection and…22/0525th May is Africa Day. For many years it has been a celebration of African unity. It dates back to 1963 when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) …
  4. South Africa's African agenda21/05The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Mothlanthe paid a rare visit to Ghana in April at the invitation of John Dramani Mahama …
  5. Women struggle to rinse hunger, poverty stains21/05Just looking at her one clearly appreciates that she is old and frail therefore in need of support for food, clothing and shelter to live comfortably …
  6. Climate Climate change affects migratory birds…21/05Changes in the climate globally have affected the movement of both migratory and resident species of birds, Nature Uganda has said.
  7. Ghana: Foreign retailers cited for currency…18/05The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is attributing the sharp depreciation of the Ghana cedi against major currencies to the illegal activiti…
  8. Kenya: Community radio brings succour to…18/05Korogocho, a slum in northeastern Nairobi with 100,000 inhabitants, had many of the ingredients for a political explosion similar to those that rocked…
  9. Veld fires 'flame' Zimbabwe's…16/05Over the years, Zimbabwe has experienced the scourge of veld fires destroying property worth thousands of dollars.
  10. Vanishing Lake Chad puts 30m lives at risk14/05As you approach the Lake Chad basin from Maiduguri, in north-eastern Nigeria, the evidence of despair is telling.
  11. Heavy rains cause havoc in Kenya14/05Heavy Rainfall continued to wreak havoc across the country leading to the suspension of relief food in some parts of the country as most roads in Turk…
  12. Zimbabwe: Growth points lie dormant14/05The Zimbabwean government mooted the concept of growth points in the 1980s as a means of decongesting cities and towns.
  13. Sierra Leone improves in infant mortality11/05Sierra Leone has improved in infant mortality cases according to Save the Children- World Motherhood index 2012 report. The West Africa country descri…
  14. Algerians vote in parliamentary election10/05Polls have opened in Algeria for parliamentary elections which the authorities have billed as more free and transparent than ever before.
  15. Sierra Leone: Girl 13, dedicates life to…08/05Annette Sam, now 13 was diagnosed with a hole in the heart in 2006. His father a teacher by then could not afford funds to treat the young Annette.
News archive