New Edo assembly speaker alleges corruption as reason for leadership change

The new Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Yekini Idaiye, has accused his predecessor, Blessing Agbebaku, of overstating the prices of vehicles bought for lawmakers. These vehicles included Lexus 570 and Toyota Hilux. During his inauguration on Monday, Idaiye criticized Agbebaku for not meeting the performance standards set by the lawmakers.

He emphasized that the parliament's primary role is lawmaking, not social gatherings where decisions on attendance are made by a single person. Idaiye stated that every effort to improve the leadership of the House was thwarted. He addressed the 8th Assembly members, reminding them of their commitment to legislate for the betterment of the people when they took office on June 16th, 2023.

To address allegations of price inflation in the purchase of Lexus 570 jeeps and Hilux vehicles, Idaiye suspended Agbebaku pending a thorough investigation. He vowed to prevent the House from becoming a platform for misdirections and corruption due to the greed of a few individuals. Additionally, Idaiye dissolved all political office holders attached to the previous Speaker and ordered the return of all documents and belongings of the former Speaker to the House clerk for subsequent review.

Furthermore, Idaiye directed the Police Commissioner and all security agencies to suspend the official status of the former Speaker while investigations progress.