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Claim
@Harmless12345 on the X platform claimed that Peter Obi was Impeached twice as Anambra State governor.
Verdict
This claim is MISLEADING. Findings showed that the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate was impeached ONCE in November 2006 but reinstated in February 2007. It’s important to also that Peter Obi left office in April 2007 after the controversial election of Andy Uba. However, in June 2007, the Nigeria’s Supreme Court ruled in his favor.
Full Text
Amid the political crisis between the current Rivers State governor, Sliminalayi Fubara, and the Supreme Court-backed Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly, an X user has claimed that the former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, was Impeached twice during his time.
In a post on the X platform on Tuesday, the user @Harmless12345 claimed that Obi was Impeached twice, yet he stood firm.
@Harmless12345 wrote, “Ordinary small threats of impeachment, Fubara don dey run helter-skelter.
“He should go and take impeachment lessons from Peter Obi.
“That Agulu man was impeached two times and he no shake.
The post generated over 12k views and more than 242 reposts, according to X analytics.
Background
Obi had first emerged as governor in March 2006 when the Court of Appeal in Enugu ruled that he, and not Dr. Chris Ngige, was the winner of the April 2003 gubernatorial election.
Verification
Tracing back to the story in 2006, On 2nd November, Peter Obi was impeached by the state House of Assembly led by the speaker Mike Balonwu. After seven months in office, he was replaced the next day by Virginia Etiaba, his deputy. However, Obi challenged his impeachment and was re-instated as the governor on 9 February 2007 by the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu.
According to reports, Appeal Court Judge Jimi Bada upheld a lower court ruling and said Peter Obi’s removal in November was “illegal and unconstitutional” because the Anambra state House of Assembly did not follow due process.
“The court … found the entire process adopted by the legislators in impeaching the governor faulty. Mr Peter Obi should be reinstated immediately as the governor,” Bada said.
It’s also important to note that after he refused to participate in the election in April 2007, which would later be won by Andy Uba, Obi challenged the impeachment, which was annulled by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in June 2007.
This was not form of any impeachment
See articles that corroborate this here and here.
Conclusion
A one-time impeachment in 2006 and a controversial election in 2007 kept Peter Obi out of office for several months. Therefore, the claim Obi was Impeached twice is MISLEADING.
