Tensions are escalating in the Edo State House of Assembly as political forces intensify efforts to unseat Speaker Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku. This comes barely 24 hours after the state’s All Progressives Congress (APC) formally declared its majority status, following the defection of four lawmakers.
A pressure group, Edo North Conscience (ENC), has openly demanded Agbebaku’s removal, arguing that his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) no longer holds the majority. The group insists that APC leaders and members worked tirelessly to secure the party’s dominance and that the Speaker, once a staunch PDP loyalist, should step down.
In a communiqué issued after a meeting in Auchi, ENC leaders Oshioke Aledeh and Tunde Balogun accused Agbebaku of masterminding a brutal campaign against APC members during the last assembly elections. They also alleged that his loyalists were involved in violent attacks that left several APC leaders injured and properties destroyed.
The group further recalled how former Governor Godwin Obaseki and his allies had issued threats ahead of the September 2024 elections, claiming that PDP forces were prepared to resist any attempts to curb political thuggery within their ranks.
“Agbebaku is still a PDP man at heart, despite pretending to align with Governor Okpebholo,” the ENC claimed, questioning why the Speaker should remain in office after working against the APC’s success.
Efforts to get Agbebaku’s response were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone went unanswered. However, a senior aide dismissed the ENC’s demands, stating, “Only the House members have the power to remove the Speaker, not any external group.”
With APC now holding 13 of the 24 seats in the Assembly, the political drama in Edo State is far from over. Will Agbebaku weather the storm, or is his removal inevitable?
