Northern Territory treasurer Eva Lawler will become the next prime minister after Natasha Fyles is ousted

Northern Territory treasurer Eva Lawler will become the next prime minister after Natasha Fyles was ousted over integrity issues.

Ms Lawler released a statement late on Wednesday confirming she would be the next NT leader to contest the 2024 territory election.

Attorney General Chansey Paech will be her deputy, formally pushing Infrastructure Minister Joel Bowden and former deputy Nicole Manison out of the race.

Natasha Fyles was spectacularly toppled as leader on Tuesday following revelations that she owned secret shares in a remote manganese mine, while also refusing to investigate the potential health implications

“This afternoon the Labor Caucus met and it was unanimously decided that the member for Drysdale, Eva Lawler, will become Prime Minister,” the statement read.

Ms Manison, the only candidate officially nominated, has been moved to the backbench.

“We thank Nicole for her hard work over the past seven years in Cabinet, and the work she has put into growing the area's jobs and economy,” the statement said.

Ms Manison took to Facebook to confirm she would remain a member of Wanguri.

“Despite receiving very strong support to run for Chief, I have decided to support Eva,” she said.

“I know Eva has one of the proudest histories as a Territorian and I know she will make a great new Chief.”

Ms Manison's latest nomination marks her second failed bid for the top job after she was defeated by Ms Fyles last year.

She said she looks forward to putting her family first and “making way for the next generation of leaders.”

Ms Fyles was spectacularly toppled as leader on Tuesday after revelations that she owned undisclosed shares in a remote manganese mine, while also refusing to investigate the potential health implications.

She is leaving after 18 months in office.

Attorney General Chansey Paech will serve as Ms. Lawler's deputy

Both Mr Bowden and Ms Manison were said to be in turmoil earlier on Wednesday after it was reported that Ms Lawler could have struck a deal with left-wing Mr Paech.

During her tenure, Ms Lawler has held the education, environment and infrastructure portfolios.

The former teacher first entered the NT Legislative Assembly in 2016 and was elected to the seat of Drysdale in Palmerston, on the outskirts of Darwin.

Mr Paech holds the Indigenous Affairs portfolio and also entered parliament in the seat of Namatjira in 2016.

The former Alice Springs councilor is the only openly gay male MP in the NT Parliament.

Ms Fyles' manganese share scandal was the latest in a series of integrity issues facing the Prime Minister and Health Minister.

“It was a mistake on my part and I have no excuse for it,” she said when announcing her resignation.

“It wasn't intentional, it wasn't intentional, but it's unacceptable.

The NT Independent revealed Ms Fyles owned undisclosed shares in South 32, owner of the GEMCO manganese mine in the remote community of Groote Eylandt.

Earlier in 2023, Ms Fyles said the Government would not investigate air pollution levels or health impacts after residents raised concerns about manganese dust in the community.

In November she was forced to divest shares in Woodside after media and federal politicians questioned potential conflicts of interest, particularly the government's large-scale expansion of the NT gas industry.

Ms Fyles is the third state or territory leader in Australia to resign in as many months and the fourth to step down in 2023.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk left politics in early December following the resignation of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews in late September.

Mark McGowan quit as WA premier in May.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr is the country's only leader whose term in office predated the COVID-19 pandemic.