The political landscape in Edo State is heating up as the tenure of the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Blessing Agbebaku, hangs in the balance.
A seismic shift is underway, fueled by fervent agitations from various concerned groups of the ruling APC, determined to unseat him from his esteemed position.
Leading the charge is the Edo North Conscience (ENC), a dynamic political and highly opinionated Group that has unleashed a bold statement aimed at overturning the Speaker’s hold on power.
The Group fervently believes that his continued tenure clashes with both the moral and political values dear not only to the state, but members of the party in power, who went through endless turmoils and pains to install their candidate as governor.
At a recent high-stake stakeholders meeting in the ancient city of Auchi, Etsako West, members from across the Edo North district rallied together, unified in their opposition to Rt Hon Agbebaku’s continued retention as the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly.
With visible passion and pains in their voices, coupled with resolve in their hearts, the ENC has vowed to initiate the process that could ultimately lead to Rt Hon Agbebaku’s removal.
This rallying cry was captured in a communique signed by the group’s leader, Mr Oshioke Aledeh, and Secretary, Mr Tunde Balogun.
The communique also signalled a dramatic push for change in Edo politics.
In a dramatic twist of political fate, the ENC is leading the charge to unseat the Speaker, with the group also labelling him as a “political brute”.
According to the ENC, the embattled Speaker orchestrated the brutal campaign that left APC members reeling in pains and discomfort during the tumultuous state assembly elections that paved the way for his ascension to power.
The ENC also recounted the harrowing tales of assault suffered by some prominent APC leaders and members in the hands of the Speaker and his army of thugs, resulting in multiple injuries, the loss of properties and other valuables.
This, the Group added is in addition to the deafening war-mongering songs from the PDP across the entire Edo state prior to the September, 2024, elections, with erstwhile governor, Godwin Obaseki threatening to burn down the entire country if attempts are made to arrest notable and arrant political thugs traceable to the PDP.
They therefore questioned why Speaker Blessing Agbebaku should thrive where he has sown only discord. They equally added that the Speaker, even when pretending to be at home with incumbent Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo still has his loyalty intact with his parent platform, the PDP.
Rt Hon Blessing Agbebaku ascended to the Speaker’s chair backed by the then-dominant PDP, but their power has dwindled in recent months with a wave of defections to the APC.
Now, the APC commands a significant majority in the House, boasting 13 seats to the PDP’s 11.
With the Speaker hailing from the party with the smallest block, a palpable hunger for change has emerged.
The ENC have therefore stepped into the fray and vowed to champion the cause for the Speaker’s removal, which it described as “untenable and inexplicable”.
Also, the ENC has declared that its clamour for the removal of the incumbent Speaker is not just about party politics, but a rallying cry that will reverberate through APC circles not only in Edo State but the country at large, by bringing this obviously abnormally to the ears of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Group equally vowed to reach out to influential APC stakeholders, including Gov Okpebholo, insisting it’s time for the APC to take its rightful place by having one of its own as the Speaker.
As the days unfold, all eyes will be on the beleaguered Speaker and his strategy to navigate the escalating demands for his ousting, even when the APC appears stoutly prepared for his removal having attained the majority status in the House.
In the midst of all these, will Blessing Agbebaku find a way to hold on to power, or his reign on the verge of collapse? Only time would tell.
But the obvious fact is that the Edo political atmosphere has become charged with Speaker Blessing Agbebaku still holding firm. Only his removal from the seat appears to be the only balm that would soothe members of the ruling APC, led by Governor Monday Okpebholo.
