The elections of April 2007 in Nigeria, which brought Umaru Yar'Adua to power, seemed to presage stormy weather in Nigeria. The electoral process, which was riven by claims of massive irregularities, resulted in the election of a new president who many claimed had no legitimacy. President Yar'Adua faces a multitude of internal challenges, including corruption; resource, ethnic and religious conflict; and the problem of poverty. There are also regional and continental challenges and opportunities which he, as leader of the Nigerian state, has to navigate with caution. Nigeria, with a population of more than one hundred million, is Africa's most populous country; it is also the world's sixth largest oil producer and the engine, in terms of power and influence, of the West African region.
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