Edo Assembly Converts Agbebaku’s Resignation To Impeachment

The Edo State House of Assembly has changed its treatment of Blessing Agbebaku’s exit as Speaker, saying his earlier resignation has now been converted to impeachment.

The move came one week after NaijaTrend reported here that Agbebaku had resigned as Speaker while lawmakers changed the House leadership. Daily Trust reported that the Assembly returned to the matter on Monday and said an impeachment notice signed by 17 of the 24 lawmakers had been before the House.

Yekini Idiaye, who became Speaker after the leadership change, said Agbebaku’s resignation was not formally presented and documented before the House suspended him. The Majority Leader, Sunny Ojiezele, then moved the motion for Agbebaku’s formal impeachment, which was seconded by Ahmed Waziri.

The Assembly also directed Agbebaku to return government property in his possession and warned that security agencies could be contacted if he failed to respond.

Daily Post reported pushback from legal practitioners after the decision. Paschal Ugbomeh, a former Chief Whip of the Edo Assembly, and lawyer Afebu Aigbonoga both questioned whether lawmakers could impeach a former Speaker who had already left the office. Their objections centred on whether the Assembly could convert a completed resignation into removal after a successor had taken over.

The dispute leaves Agbebaku’s exit at the centre of a fresh political and legal argument inside the Edo legislature.

Sources: Daily Trust, Daily Post