Nigeria power minister says he quit to save integrity

Nigeria's former power minister, who resigned after reports he part owned a company involved in bidding for state electricity assets, said on Wednesday he had stepped down to protect the integrity of himself and the president, but denied wrongdoing.

The resignation on Tuesday of one of President Goodluck Jonathan's key cabinet ministers came just two months before the preferred bidders are announced for state electricity assets. Jonathan has flagged the power privatisation as a key reform.