The Edo State House of Assembly has removed several principal officers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the party’s recent loss of majority status. Among those affected are Hon. Natasha Osawaru Irobosa, who served as Minority Leader, Hon. Charity Aiguobarueghian, former Majority Leader, and Hon. Yekini Idaiye, who held the position of Chief Whip, okaynews.com reports.
Despite the shake-up, two PDP members — Speaker Hon. Blessing Agbebaku and Deputy Speaker Hon. Maria Edeko — retained their leadership roles within the Assembly.
The leadership changes were triggered by a letter from the state’s acting All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, notifying the Assembly of a shift in the House composition. This follows the defection of four PDP lawmakers to the APC, tipping the balance of power in favor of the opposition party.
Announcing the new appointments, Speaker Agbebaku confirmed the selection of Hon. Ibhamawu Jonathan Aigbokhan (APC, Esan West) as the new Majority Leader, Hon. Addeh Emakhu Isibor (APC, Esan North-East I) as Deputy Leader, and Hon. Lecky Hussein Mustapha (APC, Etsako West I) as Chief Whip.
He also stated that the PDP leadership in the state would be submitting a fresh list of nominees to fill remaining minority leadership positions, reflecting the new configuration of the House.
Agbebaku further noted that while the Speaker and Deputy Speaker’s roles remain unchanged for now, their positions could also be reviewed in line with ongoing political developments within the Assembly.
The shake-up marks a significant power shift within the Edo legislative body, signaling the impact of defections and changing party dynamics ahead of the next election cycle.
