A political group, the Edo North Conscience (ENC), has vowed to initiate the process that could ultimately lead to the removal of Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku as the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly.

This comes as the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) notified the state House of Assembly in a letter on Tuesday of its decision to nominate the Assembly?s principal officers, having attained majority status in the House with 13 members, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 11 members.

Members of the ENC from across the Edo North Senatorial District, at a recent high-stakes stakeholders? meeting in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area, were united in their opposition to Rt. Hon. Agbebaku?s continued retention of the Speakership position of the Edo State House of Assembly.

The group, in a communiqu? signed by its leader, Mr. Oshioke Aledeh, and Secretary, Tunde Balogun, said his continued tenure clashes with both the moral and political values dear not only to the state but also to members of the party in power, who endured endless turmoil and pain to install their candidate as governor.

The communiqu? also signalled a dramatic push for change in Edo politics, as the ENC accused the embattled Speaker of allegedly orchestrating a brutal campaign that left APC members reeling in pain and discomfort during the state Assembly elections that paved the way for his ascension to power.

The ENC also recounted harrowing tales of assault suffered by some prominent APC leaders and members at the hands of the Speaker and his army of thugs, resulting in multiple injuries, the loss of properties, and other valuables.

This, the group said, was 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 were made to arrest notable and arrant political thugs traceable to the PDP.

The ENC, therefore, questioned why Speaker Blessing Agbebaku should thrive where he has sown only discord, alleging that the Speaker, even while pretending to be aligned with incumbent Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo, still maintains his loyalty to his parent platform, the PDP.

It declared that its clamour for the Speaker?s removal is not just about party politics but a rallying cry that will reverberate through APC circles, not only in Edo State but across the country, by bringing this obvious anomaly to the attention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The group equally vowed to reach out to influential APC stakeholders, including Governor Okpebholo, insisting it is time for the APC to take its rightful place by having one of its own as the Speaker. (Daily Sun)

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