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From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Edo State House of Assembly yesterday moved to impeach its former Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, while also passing amendments to the state laws on the financial autonomy of the legislature and judiciary amid protests by workers under the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).
The developments unfolded during plenary in Benin, where the Assembly rejected Agbebaku’s purported resignation and converted the matter into an impeachment proceeding.
The Majority Leader, Sunday Ojezele, who moved the motion, said the House had not received any formal resignation letter from Agbebaku, arguing that his alleged verbal resignation did not comply with parliamentary practice or legislative procedure.
Ojezele, who represents Esan South-East Constituency, subsequently urged lawmakers to support the former Speaker’s impeachment.
When the motion was put to vote, the majority of the lawmakers voted in favour of the impeachment.
The Majority Leader thereafter submitted the impeachment letter to the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Omogbai, for onward transmission to the Speaker, Yekini Idiaye.
Idiaye also condemned what he described as Agbebaku’s “worrisome and unwarranted attitude”, insisting that the former Speaker remained suspended.
He directed Agbebaku to return all property belonging to the House in his possession on or before Friday, August 29, 2026, warning that law enforcement agencies would be engaged if he failed to comply.
The impeachment move came as Edo State judiciary workers under JUSUN locked out workers of the House of Assembly in protest against the proposed amendments to the laws governing the financial autonomy of the judiciary and legislature.
The judicial workers blocked the entrance to the Assembly complex with placards, demanding that the existing financial autonomy laws be retained.
The protest followed last week’s introduction of two bills by the Majority Leader seeking to amend the Edo State Judiciary Financial Autonomy Law, 2023, and the Edo State House of Assembly Fund Management Law, 2023.
The bills were initially presented as seeking to repeal the two laws, but the Speaker later clarified that the use of “repeal” was an error and that the intention of the lawmakers was to amend the laws.
Idiaye had explained that the proposed amendments would provide for the establishment of an agency to promote accountability and ensure proper execution of projects under the financial autonomy arrangement.
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The simultaneous impeachment proceeding, passage of the autonomy bills and JUSUN protest have introduced fresh tension into the relationship between the Assembly and workers of the judiciary, with the union insisting that any alteration to the existing autonomy framework must not weaken the financial independence secured by the two institutions.
But JUSUN rejected the explanation, with its Edo State Chairman, Orien Charles, insisting that the union would not accept either the repeal or amendment of the autonomy laws.
Orien said the union had fought for about 10 years to secure financial autonomy for the judiciary and would resist any attempt to undermine it.
“We are here because of our financial autonomy. The House of Assembly, last week, wanted to repeal the financial autonomy for the judiciary. After agitation, they said it was an error that they wanted to do an amendment.
“We find out that the amendment and the repeal are the same thing. They want to take away the autonomy,” he said.
He accused the Assembly of lacking sincerity and said the union wanted to meet with the Speaker to determine its next line of action.
“We don’t need repealing, we don’t need amendment. They are not sincere. We are here fighting for autonomy,” Orien said.
Despite the protest, the Assembly proceeded with the legislative business and passed the two bills after considering them in Committee of the Whole.
The first is a Bill for a Law to Amend the Edo State House of Assembly Fund Management Law, 2023, while the second is a Bill for a Law to Amend the Edo State Judiciary Financial Autonomy Law, 2023.
Ojezele said strengthening institutions and government agencies through the proposed framework would help curb corruption and fraud while safeguarding institutional autonomy.
Following the passage, Speaker Idiaye directed the Clerk to prepare and transmit clean copies of the bills to Governor Monday Okpebholo for assent.
The Assembly also confirmed Ambrose Ayewoh-Oyakhilomen from Esan North-East as Deputy Chairman of the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
The House adjourned its sitting to tomorrow.
