Nigeria's Obasanjo declares emergency in Ekiti state

ABUJA, Oct 19 (Reuters) Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo today declared a state of emergency in the southwestern state of Ekiti following the unconstitutional impeachment of the state governor over corruption charges.

Obasanjo swore in a retired major-general to run the affairs of the state for the next six months and said the move was to prevent Ekiti from descending into anarchy and threatening security in Africa's biggest oil producer.

''I hereby declare a state of emergency in Ekiti state,'' he said in a national television broadcast early in the morning.

''It is a clear case of usurpation of power. It is dangerous for our democracy ... to allow this flagrant violation of our constitution to go unchecked,'' Obasanjo said.

State lawmakers impeached Governor Ayodele Fayose on Monday after a judicial panel found him guilty of corruption. However, the verdict was issued after the lawmakers had replaced the chief judge who headed the panel, a move which Obasanjo said was illegal.

The declaration of a state of emergency comes at a sensitive time in Nigerian politics. Africa's most populous country is due to hold elections in April next year that should mark the first democratic handover of power since independence in 1960.

There has been a rash of attempted impeachments of state governors based on allegations of corruption. Critics say such allegations have become a political weapon as power struggles intensify ahead of the elections.

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