3rd November, 2006 - Etiaba Became 1st Female Governor in Nigeria, After Peter Obi’s Impeachment.

3rd November, 2006 - Virginia Etiaba Became First Female Governor in Nigeria, After Peter Obi Was Impeached in Anambra.

In the political drama that unfolded in Anambra State in late 2006, history was quietly made when a woman, Dame Virginia Ngozi Etiaba, became Nigeria’s first female governor.

Born on November 11, 1942, in Nnewi, Anambra State, Etiaba had spent much of her life in education—teaching, mentoring, and later running a school she founded. Her calm disposition and reputation for discipline drew the attention of political leaders, and in March 2006, she was chosen as the deputy governor to Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who had just reclaimed his mandate through a court ruling.

Barely eight months into their administration, a major political storm hit. On November 2, 2006, the Anambra State House of Assembly accused Governor Peter Obi of gross misconduct and swiftly moved to impeach him. By the next day, November 3, 2006, the Assembly announced that Obi had been removed from office. That same day, they swore in his deputy, Virginia Etiaba, as the new governor of Anambra State.

At first, Etiaba was hesitant. She reportedly resisted taking the oath, insisting that Peter Obi was still the rightful governor. But with the impeachment already declared and the pressure from the legislature mounting, she eventually accepted the position — marking a historic first in Nigeria’s political history. As she took the oath of office, the country witnessed the rise of its first-ever female state governor.

During her short stay in office, Governor Etiaba projected calm and maturity. She maintained many of Obi’s policies and often described herself as a “caretaker of the people’s mandate.”

On February 9, 2007, after just over three months in office, the Court of Appeal in Enugu nullified Peter Obi’s impeachment, ruling that due process had not been followed. In a rare act of humility and respect for the rule of law, Etiaba willingly stepped down and handed power back to her former boss.

Although her time in power lasted from November 3, 2006, to February 9, 2007, Virginia Etiaba’s brief leadership left an enduring mark on Nigerian politics. She shattered a long-standing barrier, proving that women could hold the highest political office in a state, even amid political turmoil.

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