Our reporter
Edo State witnessed a series of high-profile political upheavals across multiple local governments on Monday as elected officials were ousted amid allegations of misconduct, financial mismanagement, and abuse of office.
In Akoko Edo Local Government Area, the Chairman, Hon. Tajudeen Alade, and his Vice Chairman were impeached after facing accusations of inefficiency and neglect of duty. The move, carried out by the local government’s legislative arm, is part of an ongoing effort to address what has been described as “persistent governance failures.”
The decision was confirmed by a majority vote, signalling a clear desire for leadership change within the Council.
Similarly, in Esan North East Local Government Area, which includes Uromi and Uzea, Dr. Kelly Ehidiamen Inedegbor, the suspended Chairman, and his Vice, Hon. Thomas Otiobhili, were removed from office. This development came after months of growing unrest both within the council and among the public, leading to the unanimous decision by eight out of the eleven councillors to impeach the duo.
The allegations against them focused on gross misconduct, abuse of power, and failure to adhere to their oaths of office, with critics accusing them of misusing their positions for personal gain.
The Councillors condemned the leadership for eroding public trust and undermining the local government’s integrity. The impeachment followed a period of intense scrutiny and dissatisfaction, with Council members and the community questioning the leadership’s ability to manage the area’s affairs effectively.
In a related development, the legislative arm of Owan West Local Government Council also made headlines with its own leadership shake-up. Hon. Saturday Ezomo, the leader of the legislative council, was sworn in as the acting Chairman following the impeachment of the embattled Chairman, Mr. Dickson Ahonsi, and his Vice Chairman, Victoria Asije. Both were accused of gross misconduct, including financial misappropriation, and were removed after an exhaustive investigation.
The impeachment vote was unanimous, with councillors citing a clear pattern of incompetence and corruption.
Notably, Mr. Ahonsi had previously survived an impeachment attempt over allegations of gross mismanagement and misappropriation of council funds. However, his political troubles deepened last week when he defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that further alienated him from key stakeholders within the PDP and Local government. The new leadership in Owan West aims to restore confidence in the local government system and ensure better governance moving forward.
These developments across Akoko Edo, Esan North East, and Owan West highlight a growing trend of political instability in Edo State’s local government councils, with allegations of corruption and poor governance pushing legislators to take decisive action.
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