18/08/2026
BLESSING AGbEBAKU: FROM POLITICAL ADVERSITY TO THE SPEAKER'S CHAIR — AND ANOTHER FALL FROM POWER
The journey of a man whose career has been shaped by loyalty, controversy, suspension, comeback and power struggles
The political career of Rt. Hon. Blessing Sheriff Agbebaku is one of the more remarkable stories in Edo State politics.
His journey through the Edo State House of Assembly has not been a straight road to power. It has involved electoral battles, party loyalty, legislative confrontation, suspension, political isolation, a long absence from the Assembly, a dramatic comeback, the Speakership of the 8th Assembly and, most recently, his resignation from the Speakership amid moves by lawmakers to remove him.
His story offers an interesting lesson about Nigerian politics: political fortunes can change rapidly, and today's political victim can tomorrow become the occupant of the highest legislative office in the state — only to face another political storm years later.
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THE BEGINNING: A POLITICIAN FROM OWAN WEST
Blessing Agbebaku was born on November 12, 1972, in Edo State. He studied Economics and Statistics at the University of Benin.
His first major breakthrough in electoral politics came in 2007, when he contested to represent Owan West Constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He won the election and entered the Edo Assembly at a time when the PDP dominated Edo State politics.
His 2007 election was subsequently the subject of an election petition and appeal proceedings, demonstrating that his political career began amid the intensely competitive electoral politics for which Edo State has become known.
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THE OSHIOMHOLE YEARS: WHEN POLITICS TURNED AGAINST HIM
The political environment in Edo State changed dramatically after Adams Oshiomhole became governor in 2008.
Oshiomhole came to power under the Action Congress/Action Congress of Nigeria political structure, while Agbebaku remained associated with the PDP.
According to contemporary political accounts, Agbebaku remained loyal to the PDP even as Oshiomhole's political influence expanded across Edo State.
Reports about the period describe Agbebaku as one of the PDP legislators who opposed aspects of the Oshiomhole administration's policies in line with the position of his party leadership.
This political division eventually had consequences.
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THE 2010 ASSEMBLY CRISIS AND AGBEBAKU'S SUSPENSION
One of the darkest chapters of Agbebaku's early legislative career occurred in February 2010, during a major crisis in the Edo State House of Assembly.
On February 22, 2010, a motion was moved seeking the impeachment of the then Speaker, Zakawanu Garuba.
The situation reportedly degenerated into a serious confrontation inside the Assembly.
Court records later described a chaotic scene involving physical confrontation among lawmakers and the use of objects including axes, tear gas and chemicals.
Following the crisis, Agbebaku and several other lawmakers were suspended by the House.
The Assembly subsequently established an ad-hoc committee to investigate the incident.
The committee recommended, among other measures, the continuation of the suspension of Agbebaku and some other lawmakers.
This is an important distinction
It is often said in political discussions that “Oshiomhole suspended Agbebaku.”
The available court record tells a more precise story:
Agbebaku's suspension was formally imposed by the Edo State House of Assembly, not by the governor personally.
However, the suspension happened during Oshiomhole's tenure as governor and amid the intense political struggle between the PDP bloc and the emerging political structure around Oshiomhole.
That distinction is important for historical accuracy.
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THE LEGAL BATTLE
Agbebaku did not simply disappear from the political scene.
The suspension became the subject of litigation.
In Hon. Blessing Agbebaku v. Edo State House of Assembly & Others, the courts examined the circumstances surrounding his suspension.
A particularly significant aspect of the case concerned the legal duration of legislative suspension.
The National Industrial Court judgment recorded arguments that under the applicable legislative privileges law, the suspension was supposed to lapse at the next sitting of the House or at the end of the legislative session, whichever came first.
The judgment ultimately found that the suspension had lapsed by operation of law.
The Court of Appeal also later dealt with another case involving Agbebaku and the State arising from the turbulent events of 2010.
For Agbebaku, the episode became an important chapter in his political life — a period when legislative power, party politics and the courts collided.
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THE POLITICAL SETBACK
The bigger political setback came with the changing political structure in Edo State.
Agbebaku's first tenure in the Assembly ended in 2011.
Political accounts published ahead of the 2023 Assembly inauguration stated that his attempt to return to the House was thwarted during the Oshiomhole era, with an Action Congress candidate reportedly replacing him in the political contest.
For several years, Agbebaku remained outside the State Assembly.
THISDAY described him as having been in political limbo after leaving the Assembly, before his eventual return in 2023.
For many politicians, such a political setback can mark the end of a career.
For Agbebaku, it became a period of political survival and rebuilding.
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THE COMEBACK
After years away from the Edo State House of Assembly, Agbebaku returned to electoral politics.
In the 2023 Edo State House of Assembly election, he contested again for Owan West Constituency, this time under the PDP, and won.
His return was remarkable because he was no longer simply returning as an ordinary lawmaker.
He was about to become one of the most powerful politicians in Edo State.
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FROM RETURNING LAWMAKER TO SPEAKER
On June 16, 2023, the 8th Edo State House of Assembly was inaugurated.
Agbebaku emerged as Speaker of the Assembly, reportedly unopposed.
The development represented an extraordinary political comeback.
The politician who had previously been suspended during a turbulent Assembly crisis, who had spent years away from the legislature and whose political career had suffered under changing political circumstances, had returned to occupy the highest legislative office in Edo State.
His election as Speaker was widely interpreted as an important political moment for Owan West and Edo North.
It was a classic example of political resurrection.
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FROM POLITICAL OPPOSITION TO THE CENTRE OF POWER
Agbebaku's political journey also demonstrated how alliances in Nigerian politics can change.
During the Oshiomhole years, he was associated with the PDP opposition bloc.
By the time he became Speaker in 2023, he had become a key figure in the political structure of the then PDP-led Edo administration under Governor Godwin Obaseki.
He was regarded as a loyalist of the Obaseki political camp.
The man who once found himself on the outside of political power had now become the presiding officer of the State Legislature.
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ANOTHER POLITICAL STORM
But the story did not end with the Speakership.
Agbebaku's tenure as Speaker subsequently experienced several internal political tensions.
In May 2024, his relationship with some members of the Assembly became strained after he suspended three lawmakers amid an alleged plot to remove him and other principal officers.
Reports at the time said Agbebaku linked the alleged impeachment plot to external influence and even claimed that charms and ritual items were being brought into the Assembly complex.
The episode demonstrated that the Speaker himself was increasingly becoming a central figure in the Assembly's internal power struggles.
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THE PARTY REALIGNMENT
Another major development in Agbebaku's political career occurred in 2025, when he defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Reports quoted Agbebaku as explaining that the move was connected to his political future and his desire to retain the Speakership.
The defection was politically significant because it showed once again how political alliances in Edo State had changed dramatically since his first days in the Assembly.
The former PDP lawmaker who had once opposed the political structure associated with Oshiomhole was now operating within the APC political environment.
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THE 2026 CRISIS: HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF?
In August 2026, another dramatic chapter unfolded.
Agbebaku came under intense pressure from lawmakers seeking to remove him as Speaker.
Reports said 17 of the 24 lawmakers had signed an impeachment notice against him.
Before the process could reach its conclusion, Agbebaku announced his resignation as Speaker on August 17, 2026.
He said he resigned for personal reasons and in the interest of peace, Edo State and his constituency.
Shortly afterwards, Yekini Idiaye, representing Akoko-Edo Constituency I, emerged as the new Speaker.
The new Speaker said lawmakers had moved against Agbebaku over allegations including poor leadership and corruption. Those are allegations made by the new leadership and should not be treated as established facts unless proved through the appropriate process.
Some reports have described Agbebaku as having been suspended following the leadership change, while other reports emphasise that he resigned as Speaker before the new Speaker emerged. The distinction matters and should be preserved in responsible reporting.
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THE IRONY OF THE AGBEBAKU STORY
There is a striking political irony in Agbebaku's journey.
He began as a young PDP lawmaker.
He experienced suspension during the turbulent 2010 Assembly crisis.
He lost his legislative position and spent years away from the House.
He rebuilt his political career.
He returned to the Assembly in 2023.
He became Speaker of the 8th Assembly.
He later crossed from PDP to APC.
And now, barely three years after reaching the pinnacle of legislative power in Edo State, he has lost the Speakership amid another internal political crisis.
His political journey therefore illustrates one of the oldest lessons in politics:
POWER IS TEMPORARY, BUT POLITICAL HISTORY REMAINS.
The politician who is powerful today may become the opposition tomorrow.
The lawmaker who is suspended today may become Speaker tomorrow.
And the Speaker who controls the Assembly today may find himself fighting to retain his political relevance tomorrow.
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WHAT AGBEBAKU'S JOURNEY TEACHES NIGERIANS
Agbebaku's story goes beyond one individual.
It raises broader questions about Nigerian democracy:
Should party loyalty determine political survival?
How much independence should legislators have from political godfathers and executive influence?
Should legislative suspension be used as a political weapon?
What safeguards should exist to protect elected representatives from arbitrary removal?
And how can political institutions ensure that leadership changes are driven by the public interest rather than personal or factional interests?
The history of Blessing Agbebaku demonstrates that Nigerian politics is rarely a straight line.
Political enemies can become allies.
Opposition figures can become leaders.
Those who once suffered political setbacks can return stronger.
And those who rise to the top must remember that political power is never permanent.
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FROM SUSPENSION TO SPEAKERSHIP — AND BACK INTO THE STORM
Blessing Agbebaku's political career can therefore be viewed as a remarkable cycle:
2007 — Elected into Edo State House of Assembly.
2010 — Suspended amid the Assembly crisis.
2011 — Left the Assembly after his first legislative tenure.
2011–2022 — Spent years outside the State Assembly while rebuilding politically.
2023 — Returned as Owan West lawmaker on the PDP platform.
June 16, 2023 — Elected Speaker of the 8th Edo State House of Assembly.
2024 — Faced an internal Assembly crisis and impeachment-related tensions.
2025 — Defected from PDP to APC.
August 17, 2026 — Resigned as Speaker amid moves by lawmakers to remove him.
August 2026 — Yekini Idiaye emerged as the new Speaker.
From a young lawmaker to a suspended legislator, from political isolation to Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, and now to former Speaker — Blessing Agbebaku's political career is a story of survival, resilience, changing alliances and the unpredictable nature of power in Nigerian politics.
AFRICA POLITICAL FORUMM MEDIA TV
Uniting Voices. Shaping Tomorrow.
This article is published for civic and political education. Where allegations are referenced, they are attributed to the persons or reports making them and should not be treated as established facts without due process or independent verification.
