The immediate past Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, has rejected the decision of the lawmakers to describe his removal from office as an impeachment, insisting that he voluntarily resigned as Speaker.
Agbebaku, who represents Owan West Constituency in the House, said his resignation was formally submitted and publicly announced on the floor of the Assembly on August 17, 2026.
He maintained that there was documentary and video evidence to prove that he resigned, accusing those attempting to describe the development as an impeachment of trying to rewrite what happened.
His position came after the Edo State House of Assembly on Monday, August 24, converted his earlier resignation into an impeachment during plenary.
The development has created a fresh dispute over the circumstances surrounding Agbebaku’s exit from the leadership of the Assembly and the procedure followed by the lawmakers.
The Majority Leader of the House, Sunny Ojiezele, had told the Assembly that Agbebaku’s resignation letter did not comply with the required parliamentary procedure.
Following a motion seconded by Ahmed Oshioma Waziri, who represents Etsako Central Constituency, the lawmakers proceeded to treat the former Speaker’s exit as an impeachment.
Agbebaku, however, strongly rejected the decision.
In a statement titled, “Setting the Record Straight: I resigned, I was not impeached,” the former Speaker said he personally handed his resignation letter to Ojiezele on August 17.
He said the Majority Leader subsequently presented the letter to the Deputy Speaker, Atu Osawonyi, who was presiding over the sitting at the time.
“On the 17th of August, 2026, I voluntarily tendered my resignation as Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly on the floor of the House,” Agbebaku said.
“My resignation letter was personally handed over to Hon. Ojiezele Sunny, who subsequently presented it to the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Atu Osawonyi, who was presiding over the sitting.”
The former Speaker further said he did not merely submit a written resignation but also addressed the lawmakers during plenary and publicly announced his decision to step down.
According to him, the proceedings were witnessed by members of the House and covered by television stations and other media organisations.
“Beyond submitting my written and duly signed resignation, I personally addressed the House during plenary and publicly announced my decision to resign as Speaker,” he said.
“The proceedings were covered by television stations and other media organisations, and footage of my address on the floor of the House remains available for everyone to see.”
Agbebaku said the existence of the resignation letter, video recording, television reports and witnesses made it difficult to understand why the House later described his departure as an impeachment.
He said he was surprised by reports on social media suggesting that he was impeached after he had voluntarily resigned.
The former Speaker stressed that resignation and impeachment were different constitutional and parliamentary processes and should not be confused for political reasons.
He argued that political narratives should not be allowed to replace documented events.
Agbebaku said his decision to resign was taken in the interest of peace, progress and development in Edo State and his Owan West Constituency.
He did not disclose further details about the circumstances that led to his resignation, but insisted that his decision was voluntary.
“The letter is there. The plenary proceedings are there. The video of my speech on the floor of the House is there. The television reports are there. The witnesses are there. These are verifiable facts,” he said.
Agbebaku also made it clear that his resignation from the position of Speaker did not amount to his resignation from the House.
He remains a member of the Edo State House of Assembly representing Owan West Constituency and said he would continue to carry out his responsibilities to his constituents.
“I remain a duly elected member representing the good people of Owan West Constituency, and I remain committed to providing them with effective representation,” he said.
He also reaffirmed his loyalty to the All Progressives Congress, APC, and his commitment to the peace and development of Edo State.
“I also remain loyal to our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and committed to the peace and progress of Edo State,” he added.
The disagreement has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding leadership changes in state Houses of Assembly and the importance of following due parliamentary procedures.
In Nigeria, the Speaker of a state House of Assembly is elected by members of the House and can leave office either through voluntary resignation or removal through the constitutional impeachment process.
Resignation is generally a voluntary decision by the office holder to step down, while impeachment involves a formal process initiated and completed by lawmakers based on allegations or grounds recognised by law.
The distinction between the two processes has become central to the disagreement in Edo State, with Agbebaku insisting that he chose to resign while the House has now classified the development as an impeachment.
The Edo Assembly’s decision to convert the resignation into an impeachment followed the claim by the Majority Leader that the resignation letter did not comply with parliamentary procedure.
However, Agbebaku has argued that the manner in which he submitted the letter and announced his resignation on the floor of the House amounted to a clear voluntary exit from the position.
His claim that the resignation was publicly announced during plenary could make the available proceedings and video recordings important in determining what happened.
The dispute is also coming against the background of political tensions and leadership changes that have often characterised state Houses of Assembly in Nigeria.
Control of a state legislature can be politically important because lawmakers play a major role in approving budgets, scrutinising government activities, passing laws and exercising oversight over the executive arm.
The position of Speaker is therefore not only administrative but also carries significant political influence within the state.
Agbebaku became Speaker of the Edo Assembly during the current political dispensation and has been involved in the affairs of the legislature as the representative of Owan West Constituency.
His latest statement suggests that, despite leaving the Speaker’s office, he intends to remain active in the Assembly and in the APC.
He said he was making the clarification for the sake of history and posterity, insisting that the facts surrounding his departure should remain clear.
“For the avoidance of doubt and for the sake of history and posterity, on 17th August 2026, I voluntarily resigned as Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly. I was not impeached. Facts are sacred. History must not be rewritten,” Agbebaku said.
The statement has placed the issue firmly before the public, with the former Speaker relying on his resignation letter and the records of the Assembly’s proceedings to support his position.
The Assembly, on the other hand, had relied on the alleged failure of the resignation letter to meet parliamentary requirements before treating his removal as an impeachment.
As the disagreement continues, attention is likely to focus on the official records of the August 17 sitting and the provisions of the Edo State House of Assembly’s rules governing resignation and impeachment.
For now, Agbebaku remains a member of the House, while the dispute over whether he resigned or was impeached has added another chapter to the political developments within the Edo legislature.