Edo Assembly Formally Impeaches Suspended Speaker Agbebaku, Says Earlier Resignation Was Never Officially Presented

The Edo State House of Assembly has formally impeached its suspended former Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, bringing to a head the leadership crisis that began eight days earlier following his reported resignation and subsequent suspension.
Agbebaku, who represents Owan West Constituency I, had on Monday, August 17, 2026, announced his resignation as Speaker, after which Yekini Idaiye, representing Akoko-Edo Constituency I, emerged as the new Speaker.
However, during plenary on Monday, the House maintained that Agbebaku did not validly resign from office because his resignation notice was never formally presented and documented before the Assembly.
Idaiye consequently declared that the former Speaker had now been formally impeached rather than having left office by resignation.
The motion for Agbebaku’s impeachment was moved by the Majority Leader, Sunny Ojiezele, and seconded by the lawmaker representing Etsako Central, Ahmed Waziri.
Idaiye said the impeachment notice was signed by 17 members of the House and was formally presented by the Majority Leader during plenary.
According to him, the House decided to convert Agbebaku’s earlier indefinite suspension into impeachment after his purported resignation was not formally laid before and documented by the Assembly.
“This is to let the public know that the Edo State House of Assembly has formally impeached the suspended Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku,” Idaiye said.
The new Speaker also directed Agbebaku to immediately return all government property in his possession by virtue of his former office.
He warned that security agencies could be invited to enforce the directive if the impeached Speaker failed to comply.
“And the impeached Speaker is to return all government property in his possession, and security agencies would be engaged if the former Speaker fails to comply with the directive of the House,” Idaiye stated.
The development follows days of controversy over the exact status of Agbebaku’s exit from the leadership of the Assembly.
While Agbebaku was reported to have resigned on August 17, the current leadership of the House insists that the resignation did not become formally effective because the notice was not officially presented and recorded by the legislature.
The Assembly has therefore taken the position that his removal from office is now by formal impeachment, with Idaiye continuing as Speaker following his election by lawmakers after the crisis began.
The latest resolution effectively settles, at least from the Assembly’s standpoint, the dispute over whether Agbebaku left office voluntarily or was removed, with the House now maintaining that he was impeached following the backing of 17 lawmakers.
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