Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Edo State House of Assembly on Monday rejected the purported resignation of former Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, and moved instead to impeach him during plenary in Benin.
Moving the motion, the Majority Leader, Sunday Ojezele, said the Assembly had not received any formal resignation letter from Agbebaku.
Ojezele, who represents Esan South-East Constituency, said the alleged verbal resignation was unknown to parliamentary practice and did not comply with established legislative procedures.
He therefore urged lawmakers to support a motion for Agbebaku’s impeachment.
When the motion was put to a vote, a majority of the lawmakers voted in favour of his impeachment.
The Majority Leader thereafter submitted the impeachment letter to the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Omogbai, for onward transmission to the Speaker, Yekini Idiaye.
Also the Speaker, condemned what he described as Agbebaku’s “worrisome and unwarranted attitude” and reiterated that he remained suspended.
Idiaye, directed Agbebaku to return all House property in his possession on or before Friday, August 29, 2026.
He warned that law enforcement agencies would be engaged if he failed to comply.
The House also passed two key bills which it said were aimed at strengthening financial autonomy and institutional independence in the state.
The first passed was a Bill for a law to amend the Edo State House of Assembly Fund Management Law 2023.
The second was a Bill for a law to amend the Edo State Judiciary Financial Autonomy Law 2023, after resolving into a Committee of the Whole.
Ojezele reiterated that strengthening institutions and government agencies would help curb corruption and fraud while safeguarding institutional autonomy.
Speaker Idiaye directed the Clerk of the House, Mr Omogbai, to transmit clean copies of both bills to the state governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, for assent.
The House also confirmed Mr Ambrose Ayewoh-Oyakhilomen, who hails from Esan North-East, as Deputy Chairman of the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB.
The House adjourned its sitting to Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
Lawmakers said with the passage of the two autonomy bills and the confirmation of the SUBEB deputy chairman, the Assembly remains committed to deepening transparency, accountability, and strengthening key institutions in the state.
