Edo Assembly Autonomy: NBA, Workers Reject Proposed Repeal, Demand Retention

There was a mild tension at the Edo State House of Assembly on Wednesday after workers stormed the vicinity to protest the proposed repeal of financial autonomy for the state legislature and judiciary.

Naija News understands that the plenary was halted for several hours as workers expressed their concerns, characterizing the proposed repeal as a significant threat to the independence and effective operation of both branches of government.

Recall that financial autonomy for the two branches of government was established in 2023, during the tenure of former Governor Godwin Obaseki, by the state legislators.

The trouble started when the Order Paper for the plenary session on August 19, 2026, included two bills: “A Bill for a Law to Repeal the Edo State Judiciary Financial Autonomy Law, 2023” and “A Bill for a Law to Repeal the Edo State House of Assembly Funds Management Law, 2023.”

In response to this development, a large number of workers gathered in the main legislative chamber on Wednesday to protest against the proposed legislation.

Chanting anti-government slogans, the workers condemned the initiative as unnecessary, emphasizing that they had fought for this autonomy during former Governor Obaseki’s administration.

They expressed that they had begun to benefit from the financial autonomy since 2024, prior to the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo, and urged the lawmakers to reconsider and abandon the proposal.

The workers pledged to persist in their protest until the lawmakers took appropriate action to protect the autonomy from being compromised.

Naija News understands that the proposed repeal of financial autonomy for both the judiciary and the House of Assembly originated from an executive bill put forth by the incumbent Governor, Monday Okpebholo.

Addressing the matter, Mallam Umar Faruk, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) in the state, denounced the House’s attempt to repeal the law.

Faruk said the Speaker of the House, Hon. Yekini Idaiye, had assured him that the House was not repealing the laws but only amending them.

He, however, said the workers were not enjoying 100 percent implementation of the autonomy.

Members of the Benin branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also joined the protest.

The NBA branch chairman, Idemudia Iredia Osifo, who opposed the proposal, noted that the House of Assembly and the judiciary had enjoyed autonomy since 2024.

“We are strongly against the proposal by the House of Assembly to repeal the laws because, for the short time, we have felt the dividends of these two institutions.

“The dividends are clear; the evidence is there for everybody to see. We think it is something that should be sustained.

“The repeal would be too aggressive. We have not come here to make trouble. We have only come to sensitise members of the public because there is panic in public, to let them know that the NBA is interested in the outcome of this process that is about to be initiated by the House of Assembly.

“We do not support the withdrawal of the autonomy of these two institutions,” he said.

Also speaking, former Chairman of the NBA, Benin branch, Barrister Ede Asenoguan, described the proposal as retrogressive rather than progressive.

“We got information as to the fact that the House is proposing to repeal the financial autonomy law of both the legislature and the judiciary. That law gave financial autonomy and financial independence to these other two arms of government.

“Financial autonomy is a constitutional matter. The Constitution has made it clear that these three arms of government, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, are separate and independent.

“And so the law made room and provision for each of them to have their financial autonomy. So we were delighted because the struggle has been on.

“Sometime in 2023, the Edo State House of Assembly passed a law granting autonomy to these two other arms of government. And yet today, we hear that the House is proposing to repeal that bill by removing that autonomy.

“And that is unacceptable. It is not in the interest of the state, it is not in the interest of progress and it is not in the interest of development.

“We’ve had an issue even from the judiciary. Last year, the judiciary was given about ₦6 billion by way of budgetary allocation for capital projects.

“This year, it was slashed from ₦6 billion to a miserly ₦300 million, which is far, far less than even five per cent of what they were given the previous year.

“And what that means is that you expect the judiciary to come to the executive when they want to buy diesel for their generator,” he added.

Asenoguan expressed his dismay that Idaiye, who was appointed the new Speaker on Monday, August 17, 2026, would allow himself to be used in passing “illegal bills” that harm workers’ interests.

On his part, while speaking to the workers, the Speaker, Hon. Yekini Idaiye, refuted claims that the House was repealing the law, clarifying that it was merely making amendments.

He stated that the House was only modifying the capital component of the law, leaving the expenditure aspect unchanged.

Idaiye further explained that repealing the law would also have repercussions for the lawmakers, assuring the workers that the House would refrain from any actions that could jeopardize their welfare.

Naija News reports that the House subsequently revised the proposed repeal to an amendment.