President Yar'Adua dies

Acting President Jonathan Goodluck, who has been de facto president for the past few months, has been sworn in as the new leader. He and a chosen deputy will then complete the current presidential term until elections are held next year.

Yar'Adua had not been seen on the political scene since last November when he began treatment for a heart condition in Saudi Arabia. He returned earlier this year but remained too sick to govern.

He came to power in 2007, in an election marred by voter intimidation and fraud, however it marked the first time power was transferred in Nigeria from one civilian leader to another since independence in 1960. Yar'Adua ran on a platform of reform promises, however he quickly came under fire for failing to implement his plans.

Analysts say his biggest achievement was in tackling the unrest in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

There are concerns that his death will trigger renewed clashes between Muslims and Christians which allegedly claimed hundreds of lives earlier this year. Yar'Adua was a Muslim from the north, while Jonathan is a Christian from the south.

In a first reaction US President Barack Obama praised Yar'Adua's "profund personal decency and integrity, his deep commitment to public service, and his passionate belief in the vast potential and bright future of Nigeria's 150 million people."

rm/Reuters/AFP/AP
Editor: Chuck Penfold