The newly elected Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Yekini Idiaye, has attributed the removal of his predecessor, Blessing Agbebaku, to what he described as poor leadership and alleged corruption under the former speaker.
Idiaye, representing Akoko-Edo Constituency I, emerged as Speaker on Monday after Agbebaku resigned from the position amid moves by lawmakers to impeach him.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the Assembly’s plenary, Idiaye said the House had endured prolonged adjournments and other challenges under Agbebaku’s leadership.
“The House was inaugurated on the 16th of June, 2023 under the leadership of Agbebaku, and since then we have been passing through a lot of challenges, corruption here and there, adjournment here and there, sometimes for 30 days without a cause. We are not happy with his leadership style. His leadership is poor, and it has been drawing the work of the government backwards,” he said.
The new Speaker said the lawmakers decided to act because they wanted the Assembly to support the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo.
“That is why we removed him. We must encourage our performing governor. He is doing well, anything that will derail or stop our performing governor, we must stop it. That is why we changed him. I can assure all of you that we will do everything possible to support Governor Monday Okpebholo to move this state forward,” Idiaye said.
His emergence reportedly followed the Assembly’s zoning arrangement, under which the speakership is expected to go to Edo North when the governor is from Edo Central.
Idiaye, said to be the oldest lawmaker from Edo North in the Assembly, was subsequently elected to lead the House.
The development came after lawmakers reportedly moved against Agbebaku, with 17 of the 24 members said to have signed an impeachment notice against him on Sunday night.
Members of the Assembly were also said to have visited the Edo State Government House to brief Governor Okpebholo on the change in leadership.
