The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yekini Idaiye, has dismissed reports suggesting that the House is planning to repeal the law granting financial autonomy to the Legislature and Judiciary in the state.
Idaiye said the reports were misleading, explaining that the Assembly is only considering an amendment aimed at strengthening the monitoring and supervision of capital projects executed under the financial autonomy arrangement.
The Speaker made the clarification while speaking with journalists shortly after plenary on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
The controversy, according to him, arose after he was seen during plenary reading from an old order paper, which some observers allegedly interpreted as evidence that the House was moving to reverse the autonomy law.
“We are not reversing the autonomy. We are all beneficiaries of autonomy,” Idaiye said.
He explained that the proposed amendment was prompted by concerns over the implementation of capital projects under the autonomy framework, particularly the alleged failure to properly execute and monitor some projects.
According to the Speaker, the Assembly is considering the creation of an agency or institutional mechanism that would monitor the release of funds, execution and supervision of capital projects for both the Legislature and Judiciary.
He said the proposed mechanism would ensure that projects are properly executed and certified before the relevant processes are completed.
“What we are trying to do is that we are looking at the capital side of it, like the projects. Some people discovered that most projects are not executed,” he explained.
Idaiye stressed that the proposed amendment would not interfere with the financial independence granted to the two arms of government.
Rather, he said, the objective was to establish a more effective operational framework to ensure that funds allocated for capital projects produce the intended results.
He added that the arrangement would apply equally to the Legislature and Judiciary, noting that both arms are beneficiaries of the autonomy provisions.
The Speaker also blamed social media misinformation for fuelling the controversy, accusing some voices of attempting to portray the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo in a negative light.
He expressed confidence in the performance of the governor, saying the government could not be undermined by what he described as misleading narratives circulating online.
The clarification comes amid wider national debates over the implementation of financial autonomy for state legislatures and judiciaries, with concerns often focusing not only on the release of funds but also on accountability, transparency and effective utilisation of resources.
Idaiye therefore urged the public to distinguish between financial autonomy itself and mechanisms for monitoring capital expenditure, insisting that the Edo Assembly has no intention of reversing the autonomy enjoyed by the Legislature and Judiciary . In his words, the proposed amendment would affect the operational framework for capital projects, rather than the financial autonomy of the two arms of government. �