Nigeria governor sacking reversed

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/6215057.stm

Version 0 of 1.

A court in the south-eastern Nigerian state of Anambra has reversed a controversial impeachment of the state governor, Peter Obi.

He was impeached in November for gross misconduct and replaced by his deputy.

The state assembly's speaker said some of the 23 members who had apparently voted to impeach Mr Obi later denied being present when the vote took place.

This is the third sacking this year of a governor that has been declared illegal by Nigeria's courts.

Last week, Anambra's chief judge and three other senior judges were suspended over their alleged roles in these sackings.

Some say the recent impeachments are part of a fight against corruption.

But critics say it is often more about rival politicians trying to take charge of the states so they can control the elections due early next year.

Power struggles

A spokesman for Mr Obi told the BBC that Anambra High Court judge Nri Ezedi had ruled the impeachment was null and void.

His deputy, Virginia Etiaba, had become Nigeria's first female governor after the impeachment decision last month.

Both Mrs Etiaba and Mr Obi, from the opposition All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), only occupied their posts in March this year.

They took power after a court ruled that Mr Obi's predecessor had rigged the election in 2003.

Chris Ngige, from the governing People's Democratic Party, had been Anambra's governor for three years, but had fallen out with senior party figures soon after the election.

He said it was because he refused to loot public money to pay them back for their support.

Since Mr Obi took office in March, he has been locked in a power struggle with one of the president's closest aides, Andy Uba, who wants to win the governorship in next year's elections.