But Yar’Adua shrugged off charges of electoral fraud, and in the first days of his presidency, he drew praise, both at home and abroad, for promises to tackle corruption and pursue an agreement with militia groups in the oil-rich, violence-plagued Niger Delta region. In reaching out to armed groups like the Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), one of his primary assets has been his vice president, Goodluck Jonathan, a native of the area.
但是，杜瓦对选举舞弊的指控不屑一顾，并且在他当总统的最初的日子里，他因为承诺遏制腐败，寻求与位于石油储量丰富且遭受武力荼毒的尼日尔河三角洲地区的武装团体达成协议，而赢得了国内和国外的称赞。在向像尼日尔河三角洲解放运动组织（MEND)这样的武装团体抛出橄榄枝的过程中，杜瓦最重要的财富是他的副总统固德拉克·乔纳森（Goodluck Jonathan），该副总统是当地人。