Edo Assembly Impeaches Speaker Blessing Agbebaku Eight Days After Rejecting His Initial Resignation

The Edo State House of Assembly has formally impeached its former Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, eight days after he announced his resignation from the position.

Agbebaku, who represents Owan West Constituency I, had announced his resignation as Speaker on August 17, 2026, amid a leadership crisis in the Assembly.

Following the development, the House elected Yekini Idaiye, representing Akoko-Edo Constituency I, as the new Speaker.

However, the Assembly has now taken a different position on Agbebaku's exit, declaring that he was impeached and did not resign from office.

The development followed the House's decision to proceed with an impeachment process after lawmakers said Agbebaku's resignation notice had not been formally presented and documented before the Assembly.

Speaking during plenary on Monday, August 24, the new Speaker, Yekini Idaiye, announced that the House had formally impeached Agbebaku.

He said the impeachment notice had been signed by 17 of the 24 members of the Assembly and was presented by the Majority Leader during the previous sitting.

Idaiye explained that the House proceeded with impeachment because Agbebaku's purported resignation was not officially received and documented.

“This is to let the public know that the Edo State House of Assembly has formally impeached the suspended Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku,” Idaiye said.

He stressed that Agbebaku should be regarded as having been impeached rather than having voluntarily resigned from office.

### How the crisis began

The latest development is the culmination of a leadership crisis that erupted in the Edo Assembly last week.

Agbebaku announced his resignation as Speaker on August 17, following reported pressure from lawmakers and an alleged move to remove him from office.

The House subsequently suspended him indefinitely.

Yekini Idaiye was then elected as Speaker, effectively taking over the leadership of the Assembly.

The House also removed two other principal officers during the leadership shake-up.

Jonathan Ibhamawu, who represented Esan West Constituency, was removed as Majority Leader and replaced by Ojiezele Osezua Sunday of Esan South-East Constituency.

Addeh Emankhu Isibor, representing Esan North-East I, was also removed as Deputy Majority Leader and replaced by Inegbeboh Ojie Eugene of Igueben Constituency.

The changes indicated that the crisis went beyond the Speaker's office and involved a wider realignment within the Assembly.

### Assembly says Agbebaku's resignation was not formally documented

At Monday's sitting, lawmakers maintained that Agbebaku's resignation could not be recognised because the notice had not been officially presented and documented before the House.

The Majority Leader, Sunny Ojiezele, subsequently moved the motion for Agbebaku's formal impeachment.

The motion was seconded by Ahmed Waziri, representing Etsako Central Constituency.

The House thereafter declared Agbebaku impeached.

The decision effectively changed the official description of his departure from the Speakership.

Rather than being regarded as a Speaker who voluntarily resigned, the Assembly now considers Agbebaku to have been removed through impeachment.

### Former Speaker ordered to return government property

Following the impeachment, Idaiye directed Agbebaku to return all government property in his possession by virtue of his former office.

The new Speaker warned that security agencies could be engaged if Agbebaku failed to comply with the directive.

The order adds another layer to the unfolding leadership dispute within the state legislature.

The Assembly has not indicated that Agbebaku will lose his seat as a member representing Owan West Constituency I. The action announced Monday relates specifically to his position as Speaker.

### Leadership crisis continues to attract attention

The dispute has generated considerable political attention in Edo State as the Assembly attempts to settle its leadership structure.

The emergence of Idaiye as Speaker and the removal of other principal officers have significantly changed the leadership of the 24-member legislature.

The latest impeachment also means that the circumstances surrounding Agbebaku's departure from office remain contested, with the Assembly insisting that he was removed while the earlier development had been presented publicly as a resignation.

For now, Yekini Idaiye remains the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, while Blessing Agbebaku has been formally removed from the position through the impeachment process announced by lawmakers.

The House has also directed Agbebaku to hand over government property as the new leadership consolidates its control of the Assembly.