ABUJA: Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in for his first full elected term at the helm of Africa's most populous nation Sunday, faced with the challenge of driving reform and trying to heal regional rifts. Heads of state from across Africa, foreign dignitaries, religious leaders and traditional rulers gathered in Eagle Square in the centre of Abuja for the ceremony and a military parade to mark the start of his four-year term. “As president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria I will discharge my duties to the best of my ability, faithfully and in accordance with the constitution,” Jonathan said as he took the oath of office. The former zoology student won elections last month which, while far from perfect, were deemed to have reflected the will of the people in a nation that had known virtually nothing but military rule and rigged votes for the past half-century. Jonathan emerged from the polls with a credible mandate, having won 59 percent of the vote, but with his ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) chastened by a weaker parliamentary majority and the loss of several powerful state governorships. The vote threw religious and ethnic fault lines into sharp relief. Jonathan, a Christian from the south, swept to victory in his home region but his northern rival, ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, performed strongly in the mostly Muslim north. Some 800 people were killed in riots and sectarian killings in northern towns after Jonathan's victory was announced, with homes, churches and mosques razed, Human Rights Watch said. “The profound challenges facing Nigeria are, at their heart, human rights problems,” said Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch.
