The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, has resigned from office following an alleged move by lawmakers to impeach him.
Agbebaku’s resignation was confirmed on Monday by his media aide, Ivy Ebojele, who said further details surrounding the development would be made public later.
The development comes amid renewed political tensions within the Edo State legislature, where Agbebaku had faced leadership challenges and disagreements with some members of the House.
Agbebaku was elected Speaker of the eighth Edo State House of Assembly in June 2023 after receiving the support of all 24 lawmakers at the time.
However, his leadership came under pressure less than a year later when, in May 2024, he suspended three lawmakers, Donald Okogbe, Bright Iyamu and Adeh Isibor, over an alleged plot to impeach him and other principal officers of the House. The affected lawmakers rejected the suspension and argued that the Speaker could not unilaterally suspend members.
The latest development therefore marks another major turn in a leadership crisis that has periodically rocked the Assembly.
The political configuration of the House also changed significantly in 2025. Four lawmakers defected from the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party to the All Progressives Congress, giving the APC a majority in the Assembly.
By April 2025, the APC had 13 seats, while the PDP had 11. Despite the change in party majority, Agbebaku and the Deputy Speaker positions remained occupied by members of the minority PDP at the time.
Agbebaku himself subsequently defected from the PDP to the APC in May 2025, alongside other lawmakers. Reports at the time said his move was linked to his desire to retain the speakership.
The Speaker continued to preside over the House in 2026, with the Assembly still carrying out legislative business under his leadership. In July, for instance, Agbebaku presided over the passage of a bill providing for a revised edition of the Laws of Edo State.
His tenure had also come under scrutiny over issues beyond party politics. A Premium Times investigation published in February 2026 reported that the Edo State House of Assembly exceeded its approved overhead budget by N2.56 billion in 2025.
The report said the Assembly had an approved overhead allocation of N4.67 billion but spent N7.23 billion. Agbebaku, contacted by the newspaper over the matter, referred the publication to the House Majority Leader, Jonathan Ibhamawu.
Agbebaku’s resignation now leaves the Assembly facing the immediate task of choosing a new presiding officer and managing the political implications of the development.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged impeachment move, including the lawmakers involved and the issues said to have prompted the latest attempt to remove him, were not immediately disclosed by his media aide.
Ebojele said more details would be made public later.
The resignation also comes as the state legislature approaches the final stretch of the current four-year Assembly, with the next Edo State House of Assembly election scheduled for February 2027.
