The acting governor will serve out the remainder of the outgoing governor's term until the next election.
On January 10, 2009, the outgoing governor announced the commutation.
Joseph Desha, the outgoing governor, refused to believe that his party had lost the election.
The outgoing governor initially wished to leave the territory but was convinced to remain on the job until the arrival of his replacement.
Pete Wilson, the outgoing Governor of California, is escorted to him.
"This accord can only be termed in my opinion as a suggestion by the outgoing governor to the incoming governor and nothing more," he said.
Ellis Arnall, the outgoing governor, said that he should remain in office until his successor was properly sworn in.
He succeeded the outgoing governor Luo Huining, who had been appointed the provincial party chief.
Nicholson was at first seen as an improvement over the Catholic Thomas Dongan, the outgoing governor.
More than 55% of voters rejected the so-called "personhood" measure, even after the outgoing governor and both the Republican and Democratic candidates backed it.