Lagos--Muhammadu Buhari formally takes over as Nigeria's president this week but his inauguration could not have come at a worse time, with the country reeling from a cash crunch and a crippling strike over fuel.
Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) party accused President Goodluck Jonathan's administration of sabotage for allegedly deliberately handing over the nation in its worst state since independence 55 years ago.
"No electricity, no fuel, workers are on strike, billions are owed to state and federal workers, $60 billion owed in national debt and the economy is virtually grounded," APC spokesman Lai Mohammed said.
But across Nigeria, confidence is still high that Buhari, who headed a military government in the 1980s, will fix the mess.
"It's not in dispute that the Jonathan government has messed up things," said rice trader Mulikat Bello in the Agege area of Lagos, Nigeria's financial capital.
"We know Buhari can do it. He has done it before. It's the same way the (Shehu) Shagari administration destroyed the economy before Buhari's coup of December 1983," the 32-year-old added.
AFP
