The newly elected Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Yekini Idiaye, has accused the immediate past leadership of the Assembly of corruption and poor administration.
Idiaye made the allegations shortly after taking over as Speaker in Benin City.
He said the change in leadership was necessary to give the legislature a new direction and ensure closer cooperation with Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration.
The new Speaker said the Assembly could not afford to operate in a way that would slow down the implementation of government programmes across the state.
According to him, the legislature has an important role to play in supporting policies and programmes designed to improve the lives of Edo residents.
Idiaye specifically criticised the leadership style of former Speaker Blessing Agbebaku, who resigned from office earlier on Monday.
He alleged that the House had experienced repeated adjournments and other challenges under the former leadership.
“Under the leadership of the former speaker, we have been passing through a lot of challenges.
“Corruption here and there. Every now and then, it is adjournment — we resume tomorrow, adjournment for another 30 days, 20 days — and we were all not too happy with this leadership style,” Idiaye said.
The allegation comes as the Assembly enters a fresh leadership following the sudden resignation of Agbebaku and the emergence of Idiaye as his replacement.
Idiaye said the leadership change was not simply about replacing one principal officer with another.
He described it as an attempt to reposition the legislature and make it more effective in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities.
He also linked the effectiveness of the Assembly to the performance of the executive arm of government.
“Once the leadership is poor, it will drag the work of the governor backwards. So we decided to say no.
“We must encourage our performing governor because he is doing very well.
“So anything that will derail the performance or that will deprive the governor of his performance, we have to do something about it. Hence, the change of leadership.”
The new Speaker further promised that the Assembly would work with the governor to advance development across Edo State.
He said lawmakers would provide the necessary legislative support for the administration while ensuring that the interests of residents remained central to their activities.
“I can assure all of you that we are going to do everything possible to support the governor.
“He is doing a lot for the people of Edo, so we have to cooperate with him to move the state forward,” he added.
Agbebaku, who represents Owan West Constituency, resigned during a brief plenary session on Monday.
His departure was followed by the election and swearing-in of Idiaye as the new Speaker.
The leadership change also affected other principal positions in the House, with Sanny Ojezele of Esan South-East emerging as Majority Leader.
Agbebaku has, however, rejected the suggestion that his resignation was connected to wrongdoing.
In a statement issued by his media team on Monday, the former Speaker said his decision was “purely for personal reasons.”
He also maintained that he had a cordial relationship with members of the House during his tenure.
Agbebaku said disagreements among lawmakers were normal because members had different political views and personal identities.
He insisted that such differences did not prevent the Assembly from carrying out its legislative responsibilities.
“Differences will naturally arise because we all have our individual identities and beliefs. However, that did not stop us from passing people-oriented Bills and Resolutions in the last three years of my leadership.”
Politics Nigeria earlier reported today that Agbebaku explained why he resigned as Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly.
The former Speaker said his resignation was “purely for personal reasons” and urged his supporters to remain calm.
He also congratulated Idiaye and appealed to lawmakers to maintain peaceful relations as the Assembly moves forward.
The former Speaker said he stepped down in the interest of peace and the people he represented.
He also thanked Governor Monday Okpebholo for the support and cooperation he received while serving as Speaker.
Agbebaku further appealed to his supporters to remain calm and continue to support the development of democracy in Edo State.
He reaffirmed his commitment to the All Progressives Congress and the state.
He called on members of the House to work together and maintain peace as the Assembly continues with its legislative duties.