Outgoing Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has bid farewell to the nation he led for eight years.
In a nationally televised address Monday, Mr. Obasanjo gave himself high marks as a civilian ruler, saying that under his leadership, Nigeria became stronger and more united.
He praised his successor, Umaru Yar'Adua, a little-known governor from the far northern state of Katsina, who is set to assume office on Tuesday.
Yar'Adua scored a landslide victory in last month's disputed presidential elections. International observers said the polls were not credible. Monitors reported many instances of vote-rigging and violence.
Last week, the opposition filed a lawsuit seeking a court annulment of the polls.
Tuesday's handover is the first from one civilian administration to another since Nigeria's independence in 1960.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.