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Seven councillors move against council boss hours after failed peace talks
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Allegations of abuse of office, embezzlement and insubordination cited
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Impeached chairman rejects claims, calls action politically motivated
Seven councillors of the Akoko-Edo Local Government Area in Edo State have impeached the council chairman, Alabi Oshionogue, following an escalating political crisis within the local government.
The impeachment, which was sealed in a letter dated January 28, 2026, came hours after the Edo State House of Assembly failed to broker peace between Oshionogue and the aggrieved councillors.
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The development followed a deepening political tussle after three councillors boycotted a reconciliation meeting, leading to their seats being declared vacant. Shortly after the collapse of the mediation effort, seven of the 10 councillors reportedly moved swiftly to Igarra, the council headquarters, where they issued the impeachment notice.
In the letter, the councillors accused the chairman of multiple infractions, declaring that he had been removed from office with immediate effect.
The 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, 28th January 2026.”
It further cited “abuse of office, high-handedness, embezzlement of council funds, anti-party activities, financial recklessness, forgery and constant disobedience to constituted authorities” as grounds for the impeachment.
A video that later surfaced on social media showed Oshionogue being booed out of the council secretariat by the councillors during the heated confrontation.
Reacting to the development, the embattled chairman dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically driven, insisting that he would not allow public resources to be captured by vested interests.
“The allegations are false, and the actions of the councillors are politically motivated,” Oshionogue said during a telephone interview. “I have refused to yield to intimidation or divert the commonwealth of the people to a few individuals seeking personal gain.”
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He added that he remained aligned with Governor Monday Okpebholo, whom he credited with delivering grassroots-focused projects across the state.
Oshionogue also questioned the legality of the impeachment process, stressing that constitutional procedures must be followed in resolving such disputes.
“According to the Nigerian Constitution, there is a proper way to handle these matters. We maintain a constitutional relationship with the House of Assembly and the supervisory ministry, who will ultimately decide on this issue,” he said.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Paul Ohonbamu, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
The impeachment has further exposed growing tensions within Edo’s local government system, raising fresh concerns over political instability and governance at the grassroots level.