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Thursday, 1 November 2007, 16:07 GMT

Nigeria parliament elects speaker

Anti-Etteh demo in Abuja on 30 October 2007 Nigeria's House of Representatives has elected a new speaker, Dimeji Bankole, after the resignation earlier this week of the former speaker, Patricia Etteh.

Mrs Etteh and her deputy resigned over a corruption scandal, involving $5m for home renovations and cars.

Her initial refusal to step aside held up parliamentary business, including a debate on Nigeria's federal budget.

The affair has been an embarrassment for President Umaru Yar'Adua, who promised zero tolerance on corruption.

Members of the house defied an order by the governing People's Democratic Party (PDP) that the new speaker should come from the same state as Mrs Etteh, who was from Osun State.

Mr Bankole comes from Ogun State.

PATRICIA OLUBUNMI ETTEH


Mrs Etteh, a former beautician and PDP member, was accused of irregularities in spending $5m of government money to buy 12 cars and renovate two official residences - her own and that of a deputy.

She had consistently denied any wrongdoing but opponents argued forcibly that she should step aside temporarily to allow someone else to chair the debate into the findings of the panel of inquiry, chaired by David Idoko.

The row became so heated that a brawl broke out in parliament earlier this month, during which one pro-Etteh MP collapsed and died.




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