WorldStage— The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, has stepped down during a brief legislative plenary session after learning that 17 out of 24 lawmakers had signed an impeachment notice against him.
Following his exit, the parliament immediately restructured its leadership, swearing in a new Speaker in person of Yekini Idiaye (representing Akoko-Edo I Constituency).
His emergence follows a political zoning arrangement requiring the Speaker to hail from Edo North when the state governor is from Edo Central.
New Majority Leader Ojiezele Osezua Sunday (Esan South-East) replaced Jonathan Ibhamawu, new Deputy Majority Leader Inegbeboh Ojie Eugene replaced Addeh Emankhu Isibor, while Natasha Osawaru Irobosa (National Democratic Congress) replaced Charity Iguodala as new Minority Leader.
Though Agbebaku publicly cited personal reasons and the preservation of state peace for his sudden exit, the house leadership gave a starkly different account.
In a press briefing following the plenary session, the newly sworn-in Speaker, Yekini Idiaye, accused Agbebaku of gross financial corruption, poor leadership, and arbitrary house adjournments lasting up to 30 days without justification.
The structural shake-up aligns with shifting party majorities, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) recently consolidated dominance in the assembly, triggering demands for a leadership change to better support Governor Monday Okpebholo.
