By Our Correspondent
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has charged the newly elected leadership of the Edo State House of Assembly to promote unity, transparency, humility and teamwork in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The governor gave the charge on Monday, August 17, 2026, when he received the new Speaker of the Assembly, Prince Yekini Oisayemoje Idaiye, who represents Akoko-Edo Constituency 1, alongside other members of the new legislative leadership.
Okpebholo urged the lawmakers to put aside personal differences and focus on delivering effective representation and good governance to the people of Edo State.
He described political office as temporary and called on public officials to approach their responsibilities with humility and a strong sense of duty.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Patrick Akhere Ebojele, Okpebholo said, “We must put arrogance aside to serve our people better because today we are here and tomorrow we don’t know where we will be.”
The governor also urged members of the Assembly to resolve disagreements internally through dialogue rather than taking their differences to social media.
“It’s a new leadership. I don’t know what happened. Whatever must have happened in the House is for the House, and it remains there. I was also a parliamentarian, and I know that we respect one another,” he said.
Okpebholo particularly charged Speaker Idaiye to operate an inclusive administration and ensure that all members of the Assembly are carried along in the affairs of the House.
“It is not just to be a leader, but a responsible leader. You are not just assuming a new office, to be just an ordinary speaker. You should know that you are now carrying the shoulders of many people and you have to be transparent with your colleagues. You have to carry everybody along,” the governor said.
He warned that excluding lawmakers from the decision-making process could create fresh divisions within the Assembly, stressing that inclusiveness was essential to effective leadership.
“The only way you can have an effective leadership is for you to carry everybody along,” Okpebholo said.
The governor further encouraged the new Speaker to maintain the positive reputation attributed to him by his colleagues.
“Everyone is saying good things about you. I want you to remain the way they have described you,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of teamwork, Okpebholo said lawmakers should freely express their concerns and seek solutions through dialogue.
“Teamwork is the bedrock of effective leadership. And for you to make progress, you need to believe in yourselves. When you have anything in mind, always voice it out either in private with the Speaker or in the open. Dialogue is always the key,” he said.
The governor expressed his desire for the Assembly to maintain peace and stability, noting that the House had operated without a major crisis for about two years.
“I want us to have a peaceful house. For about two years, there have never been crises in the House. And I pray that in another two years, there will be no crises in the House,” he said.
With the next elections approaching, Okpebholo also urged the lawmakers to strengthen their presence in their constituencies and work towards securing electoral success.
“I pray that you people will take charge of your constituencies. Elections are coming. We have to work hard to see that we record success,” he said.
He also encouraged lawmakers who may not return to the Assembly after the elections to remain optimistic, assuring them of his continued cooperation.
“Those of you that are not coming back, don’t worry. We will work together. Sometimes, every disappointment is another appointment that can lead you to somewhere higher or greater,” Okpebholo said.
Earlier, Speaker Idaiye said the new leadership had visited the governor to formally introduce itself and assure him of the Assembly’s readiness to support his administration.
“Your Excellency, we are here this afternoon to formally introduce the new leadership of the Edo State House of Assembly to you and to inform you that with this new leadership, we are ready to stabilise the House,” Idaiye said.
The Speaker assured the governor that the Assembly would provide the necessary legislative support to advance the development of Edo State.
“And to ensure that we give you the maximum support because we are all proud of you. You are doing well. The only way you can continue to do well is to have the support of the House. We are there for you. Whatever you want us to do to move Edo forward, we are ready for it,” he said.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilor; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Yakubu Musa; Edo State APC Chairman, Jarrett Tenebe; and members of the party’s State Working Committee.
