None of the presidential candidates attended the ceremony but former Heads of State General Yakubu Gowon, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Chief Ernest Shonekan, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo graced the ceremony at Eagle Square, Abuja. Also president were many African and foreign leaders including President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, John Atta Mills of Ghana, Boni Yayi of Benin, Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone and Alassane Outtara of Cote D’Ivoire.
The President said, “Today, our unity is firm, and our purpose is strong. Our determination unshakable. Together, we will unite our nation and improve the living standards of all our peoples whether in the North or in the South; in the East or in the West. Our decade of development has begun. The march is on. The day of transformation begins today. We will not allow anyone exploit differences in creed or tongue, to set us one against another.
“I am mindful that I represent the shared aspiration of all our people to forge a united Nigeria: a land of justice, opportunity and plenty. Confident that a people that are truly committed to a noble ideal, cannot be denied the realization of their vision, I assure you that this dream of Nigeria, that is so deeply felt by millions, will indeed come to reality.
“The time for lamentation is over. This is the era of transformation. This is the time for action. But Nigeria can only be transformed if we all play our parts with commitment and sincerity. Cynicism and scepticism will not help our journey to greatness. Let us all believe in a new Nigeria. Let us work together to build a great country that we will all be proud of. This is our hour.”
Jonathan also paid tribute to founding fathers of Nigeria and the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, with whom he won the Presidential election four years ago as a running mate. He said the task of consolidating on the achievements of the founding fathers was now on the present generation to lift the country to the summit of greatness.
The president pledged transformation in critical sectors of the economy by harnessing the creative energies of our people through his resolve to fight for “improved medical care for all our citizens, for all citizens to have access to first class education, for electricity to be available to all our citizens, for an efficient and affordable public transport system for all our people and to fight for jobs to be created through productive partnerships.”
He also promised to form technical and financial partnerships with global businesses and organizations. noting that “ We live in an age where no country can survive on its own; countries depend on each other for economic well-being. Nigeria is no different. Returns on investment in Nigeria remain among the highest in the world. We will continue to welcome sustainable investment in our economy.”
Jonathan said his election wouldn’t have been possible without the commitment of Nigerians towards the election, saying “That spirit has, over the years, stirred our hopes, doused our fears, and encouraged us to gather ourselves to build a strong nation even when others doubted our capacity,” and promised to use the mandate reposed on him to justify the confidence of Nigerians in order to deserve their trust.
He also consoled with families of those who lost their lives in the post-election violence, describing them as heroes of democracy.
Heads of state from across Africa, foreign dignitaries, religious leaders and traditional rulers were at the ceremony which was spiced by military parade and calisthenics display by 1050 school children.
The President also performed his first official assignment by reviewing a parade to usher in the new administration and that was followed by hoisting of the national and regimental flags as well as a 21 gun salute to officially close the ceremony.
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