By Abigail David

Natasha Osawaru, wife of Nigerian singer Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, has been appointed Minority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly.

Osawaru, who represents Egor Constituency, was announced as the new minority leader during Monday’s plenary following a reshuffling of the Assembly’s principal leadership positions.

Her emergence followed her defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the National Democratic Congress in May 2026.

A statement from her Media and Strategic Communications Directorate said the reshuffle reflected new alignments among lawmakers and party caucuses in the Assembly.

Osawaru previously served as Deputy Majority Leader. She has focused on grassroots development, legislative debates, and youth and women empowerment during her time in the Assembly.

Reacting to her new position, Osawaru thanked the Assembly leadership, her colleagues and constituents.

She described the appointment as a responsibility rather than a title, pledging to promote accountability, effective representation and the development of Edo State.

Her emergence places her in a key opposition leadership role in the Edo State House of Assembly.

By Abigail David

By Abigail David

The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, has resigned from his position amid reported moves by some lawmakers to impeach him.

Agbebaku’s resignation was confirmed on Monday by his media aide, Ivy Adodo-Ebojele, in a Facebook post.

She wrote, “Edo Assembly Speaker Rt Hon Chief Blessing Agbebaku resigns.”

No official reason was immediately given for the Speaker’s resignation, while further details about the circumstances surrounding his decision are expected to be released.

The development has plunged the Edo State House of Assembly into a fresh leadership crisis, with lawmakers expected to begin moves to elect a new Speaker.

Agbebaku’s exit comes amid reported disagreements within the Assembly and efforts by some lawmakers to remove him from office.

By Abigail David

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has called for peace and unity following his re-election, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) says it is reviewing the results before deciding whether to challenge the outcome in court.

Adeleke, who contested on the Accord Party platform, was declared winner of Saturday’s governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He polled 511,067 votes to defeat APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes.

The governor won 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured 11. African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salaam came third with 17,180 votes.

President Bola Tinubu congratulated Adeleke, saying the result reflected the confidence voters placed in the governor. He urged him to use his second term to unite residents and promote development regardless of their political affiliations.

In his victory remarks, Adeleke extended an olive branch to his opponents and pledged to govern all residents of the state.

He also urged traditional rulers and community leaders to promote peace and prevent post-election violence, particularly after tensions and reported attacks during the campaign.

Adeleke said his administration would build on its achievements, address its shortcomings and pursue accelerated development under his renewed five-point agenda.

The governor also thanked Tinubu for supporting what he described as a credible and peaceful election and reaffirmed his endorsement of the President for the 2027 presidential election.

APC Reviews Results

The Osun APC said it was studying results from the state’s 332 wards before deciding on its next step.

The party said it would consult its legal team and consider all options provided under the Electoral Act, including a possible tribunal challenge.

The APC also urged its supporters to remain calm and avoid actions that could provoke violence.

ADC Seeks INEC Explanation

The ADC congratulated Adeleke but called on INEC to explain what it described as an almost four-hour interruption in the uploading of polling-unit results to the IReV portal during the election.

The party said the delay raised concerns about the transparency of the process, although it did not provide evidence that INEC deliberately halted the uploads.

ADC candidate Najeem Salaam separately congratulated Adeleke, saying the electorate had spoken and that democracy had prevailed.

Salaam urged the governor to use his second term to improve areas where his administration had fallen short and work towards greater peace, security and development across Osun State.