Fresh Crisis In Ondo Assembly As Speaker Reacts To Removal Plot

Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, has alleged that the campaign by a majority of lawmakers seeking his removal is politically motivated and aimed at preventing his return as Speaker after the 2027 elections.

Oladiji made the claim on Wednesday while responding to calls for his resignation or impeachment over allegations of financial misconduct and abuse of office.

At the centre of the controversy is a disputed ₦44 million linked to the reordering of the budget of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC).

The Speaker dismissed the allegations against him, insisting that the controversy was being driven by political calculations rather than genuine concerns about his conduct.

According to him, the timing of the agitation suggests it is connected to the build-up to the 2027 general elections.

He argued that the lawmakers had worked with him for more than three years without raising similar complaints, questioning why the accusations surfaced only as political activities for the next election cycle intensified.

The crisis has plunged the 26-member Ondo State House of Assembly into turmoil, with 21 lawmakers demanding that Oladiji either resign voluntarily or face impeachment.

The aggrieved legislators accused the Speaker of issuing a House resolution approving the reordering of the OSOPADEC budget without the consent of the full Assembly.

They also alleged that legislative activities had slowed significantly under his leadership, claiming that the House had held only four plenary sittings in the past seven months.

The lawmakers have maintained that they will not return to plenary until Oladiji leaves office, despite ongoing efforts by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other stakeholders to resolve the dispute.

Oladiji, however, expressed confidence that the crisis would be settled through the APC’s internal conflict-resolution mechanism.

He said party leaders had already stepped in to mediate, adding that several meetings had been held and expressing optimism that the impasse would soon be resolved.

Responding to the Speaker’s remarks, Chairman of the House Committee on Information and Assembly spokesperson, Olatunji Fabiyi, rejected claims that the move to remove Oladiji was linked to the 2027 elections.

Fabiyi insisted that the lawmakers’ position was based solely on allegations of misconduct and abuse of office, not political ambition or the issue of return tickets.

He maintained that the central concern was the Speaker’s alleged unilateral approval of the OSOPADEC budget reordering without authorisation from the full House.

Fabiyi further declared that the 21 lawmakers remained united in their demand for Oladiji’s removal, insisting that their position had not changed despite ongoing reconciliation efforts.