BENIN CITY, EDO STATE — The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, has resigned from office amid reported moves by some lawmakers to remove him through impeachment.
Agbebaku reportedly tendered his resignation on Monday, bringing his tenure as Speaker to an abrupt end and triggering a fresh leadership crisis within the Edo State legislature.
The resignation was confirmed by his media aide, Ivy Adodo-Ebojele, in a post on Facebook. While announcing the development, she indicated that more information regarding the circumstances surrounding the Speaker’s decision would be released later.
“EDO ASSEMBLY SPEAKER RT HON CHIEF BLESSING AGBEBAKU RESIGNS,” Adodo-Ebojele wrote.
The development comes against the backdrop of reported efforts by some members of the House to impeach Agbebaku. Details of the issues that led to the reported impeachment moves were not immediately clear at the time of filing this report.
His resignation is expected to set off a new political process within the Edo State House of Assembly, as lawmakers will now have to determine who will succeed him as Speaker.
The latest development further deepens the political tension surrounding the state legislature and could have implications for the relationship among lawmakers and the wider political structure in Edo State.
Agbebaku, who had been presiding over the affairs of the House, is now expected to formally hand over the leadership of the Assembly as lawmakers move to resolve the leadership vacuum created by his resignation.
Further details, including the reasons behind his resignation and the next steps to be taken by the House, are expected to emerge as the situation unfolds.
