The Chairman of Akoko-Edo Local Government Council, Hon. Alabi Bliss Oshionogue, has been impeached by a majority of councillors in a move that is likely to deepen political fault lines in the region.
The impeachment, announced in a letter signed by seven of the 10 councillors of the local government, was issued on 28 January 2026, throwing the administration of the council into uncertainty.
According to information obtained by The PUNCH, the decision to remove Oshionogue followed a failed attempt by lawmakers from the Edo State House of Assembly to broker peace between the chairman and the group of councillors pushing for his removal.
The three councillors who did not attend the aborted meeting were subsequently targeted by the majority faction. Their seats were declared vacant in the fallout, effectively bolstering the position of the seven councillors who orchestrated the impeachment.
Sources told our correspondent that the seven councillors rushed to Igarra, the administrative headquarters of Akoko-Edo Local Government, to formally issue the impeachment letter.
In the letter, the councillors outlined a string of allegations against Oshionogue, accusing him of abuse of office, high-handedness, embezzlement of council funds, anti-party activities, financial recklessness, forgery and constant disobedience to constituted authorities.
The impeachment letter reads in part: “We, the undersigned members of Akoko Edo Local Government Area Legislative Arm, hereby impeach you as the acting Local Government Council Chairman with effect from today, the 28th January, 2026… This decision is as a result of your abuse of office, high-handedness, embezzlements of Council funds, anti-party activities, financial recklessness, forgery and constant disobedient to constituted authorities.”
A viral video circulating online showed scenes of Mr. Oshionogue being booed by onlookers as he exited office premises following the impeachment, underscoring the palpable tension surrounding the event.
In a telephone interview with The PUNCH, the embattled chairman dismissed the allegations leveled against him as false and politically motivated.
“The allegations are false, and the actions of the councillors are politically motivated,” Oshionogue said.
“I stand with the people and with Governor Monday Okpebholo, who is delivering people-oriented projects to the grassroots people. I have refused to yield to intimidation and divert the commonwealth of the people to few individuals who want to make money from the coffers because they represent the people.”
He further asserted that due process had not been followed in the impeachment.
Adding that, “According to the Nigeria Constitution, there is a way to go about such exercise. We have a constitutional relationship with the House of Assembly and the supervisory ministry who will decide on the matter.”
Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for comment on the situation were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
The development marks a significant flashpoint in Edo State’s local government politics, coming amid broader tensions between elected councillors and state authorities over governance and accountability.
