The record of Obasanjo, a former military ruler who voluntarily gave up power in 1979 and later was jailed by Abacha, is so far impressive. Crusading against corruption, he has annulled state contracts entered into by the transitional military regime that took over after Abacha died last summer. He has opened up the media and promised to tackle drug trafficking. Nigeria is a major transit point for heroin from Asia to the United States. Perhaps most important, he has cleaned up the military, sacking officers who once held political posts.
Most observers say the chance of another coup is remote, for now.
But Obasanjo still has a long way to go. The oil-rich Delta region is perpetually on the brink of another outburst of violence. There is grumbling in the north, traditionally the power seat in Nigeria, and the introduction of sharia, or Islamic law, in one state could aggravate relations between Muslims and Christians. Foreign investors complain the government is backtracking on parts of a large privatization scheme. The lower house of Parliament has not passed a single piece of legislation.