Former Speaker says he accepted the decision to resign in the interest of peace as 17 lawmakers back Akoko Edo I representative for the top seat
The political crisis in the Edo State House of Assembly has taken a dramatic turn following fresh revelations by former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, on the circumstances surrounding his resignation and the emergence of Hon. Yekini Idaiye as his successor.
Agbebaku resigned as Speaker on Monday during plenary, bringing an end to his tenure amid reports of moves by lawmakers to remove him from office.
His resignation came shortly before the House elected Idaiye, the lawmaker representing Akoko Edo I Constituency, as the new Speaker.
But Agbebaku has now given his own account of what happened, saying he resigned after being asked to do so in what he described as an effort to protect peace in Edo State.
According to Vanguard, Agbebaku said he had been asked to resign and decided to accept the decision rather than allow the situation to degenerate into a bigger political crisis.
“I agree with all of you. The process is that today I have been asked to resign. Because of that, I was supposed to lead the procession here to resign on the red chair,” he was quoted as saying.
Agbebaku also thanked Governor Monday Okpebholo for the support he received during his time as Speaker.
He said that if the governor had taken a decision aimed at ensuring peace in the state, he had no choice but to respect it.
“If he has a decision contrary to giving his government a peaceful trade deal, I think I have no choice but to obey his decision,” Agbebaku said.
“We want peace in the state. And I have resigned.”
The statement has added a fresh political dimension to an already controversial leadership change in the Edo legislature.
Before the resignation, reports had indicated that a significant number of lawmakers were backing moves to remove Agbebaku.
Vanguard reported that sources claimed as many as 18 lawmakers had supported the move, although the subsequent vote for a new Speaker produced a different figure.
The report also said Agbebaku was allegedly accused of failing to facilitate the clearance of a nominee of the governor for an appointment, among other issues.
However, claims that the pressure came directly from the Government House have not been officially established.
The development has therefore left a number of political questions unanswered, particularly concerning the relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government.
Following Agbebaku’s resignation, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Osamwonyi Atu Osamwonyi, presided over the plenary.
The House then moved quickly to elect a new Speaker.
Hon. Sunny Ojezele, representing Esan South-East Constituency, nominated Idaiye for the position, while Hon. Eric Okaka, representing Owan East Constituency, seconded the nomination.
Idaiye subsequently secured 17 of the 24 votes cast and was declared Speaker.
The result places the Akoko Edo I representative at the head of the Edo State legislature at a politically sensitive moment.
Idaiye, a member of the All Progressives Congress, now has the responsibility of leading the 24-member Assembly and restoring stability to a House that has been facing internal political disagreements.
In his first major address as Speaker, Idaiye promised a different approach to legislative business.
He said his leadership would focus on effective parliamentary practices and the interests of the people of Edo State.
He also criticised what he described as prolonged disruptions to legislative activities and unresolved legislative business under the previous leadership.
Idaiye said the Assembly was established to legislate for the common good and argued that personal and narrow interests had prevented the House from achieving the expected results.
He further criticised the conduct of legislative proceedings, insisting that the House must focus on lawmaking and oversight.
“Parliament is about lawmaking, not a place of social meeting where only one decides when to sit or not to sit as presently practised,” Idaiye said, according to Vanguard.
The new Speaker also raised allegations concerning the former administration of the House, including claims involving the procurement of Lexus 570 vehicles and Hilux vans.
These are allegations and have not been established as proven wrongdoing. Agbebaku has not, in the information currently available, publicly responded to the specific financial allegations made by his successor.
Idaiye subsequently directed that the allegations be investigated and instructed security agencies to ensure that official functions of the Speaker were not accorded to Agbebaku pending the outcome of the process.
The development could therefore create another political battle even after Agbebaku’s resignation.
There were also major changes in other leadership positions within the House.
Hon. Sunday Ojezele emerged as Majority Leader, replacing Hon. Jonathan Ibhamawu.
Hon. Eugene Inegbeboh, representing Igueben Constituency, became Deputy Majority Leader, replacing Hon. Adeh Isibor.
On the opposition side, Hon. Uyi Omisigho, representing Oredo West, was designated Minority Whip, while Hon. Natasha Osawaru Idibia, representing Egor Constituency, was named Minority Leader.
The scale of the changes suggests that Monday’s development was not simply about replacing one Speaker.
It was a wider restructuring of the leadership arrangement within the Edo State House of Assembly.
And that is where the political significance becomes bigger.
Agbebaku represented Owan West Constituency. Idaiye represents Akoko Edo I.
The change therefore means that the Speaker’s seat has moved from one part of Edo North to another.
That development has already generated concerns among some Owan stakeholders, who are questioning what the shift means for the political balance within Edo North Senatorial District.
However, the political interpretation should be separated from the confirmed facts.
The confirmed position is that Agbebaku resigned, Idaiye was subsequently elected Speaker by 17 lawmakers, and the House also changed several principal officers.
The wider question of whether the development represents a deliberate political shift away from Owan remains a matter for political analysis and debate.
What cannot be ignored is the fact that the leadership of the House has changed substantially.
For Idaiye, the biggest challenge now is to prove that the new leadership can deliver a stable and productive legislature.
The people of Edo State will expect the Assembly to return its attention to lawmaking, oversight, representation and issues affecting the state.
For Agbebaku, his statement that he resigned because he was asked to do so in the interest of peace gives the political crisis another layer.
It also raises questions about the relationship between political negotiation and legislative independence.
If a Speaker voluntarily leaves office because of a political decision taken outside the chamber, then Nigerians are entitled to ask where the boundary lies between party politics, executive influence and the independence of the legislature.
Those questions will likely continue to dominate political discussions in Edo State.
For now, however, the immediate reality is clear.
Blessing Agbebaku is no longer Speaker. Yekini Idaiye is now in charge of the Edo State House of Assembly.
The former Speaker says he chose peace over a fight for his position.
The new Speaker says the Assembly needs a new direction.
And the political consequences of that decision are only beginning to unfold.
IBN NEWS will continue to follow the developments surrounding the Edo State House of Assembly, including the allegations raised against the former Speaker and the performance of the new leadership.
