Political Storm In Ondo: Lawmaker Threatens To Impeach Speaker Over Refusal To Step Down

A fresh leadership crisis appears to be brewing in the Ondo State House of Assembly, with reports indicating that 21 of the 26 lawmakers have endorsed moves to remove Speaker Olamide Oladiji over allegations of financial impropriety.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The lawmakers are said to have signed an impeachment notice after accusing the Speaker and his deputy of mismanaging ₦44 million allegedly linked to the reordering of the Ondo State Oil-Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) budget.

Oladiji, however, has dismissed the allegations, insisting there is no impeachment plot or plan for him to resign. He described the reports as false, malicious and politically motivated.

A lawmaker, who spoke anonymously to Punch, claimed members of the Assembly were giving the Speaker an opportunity to resign voluntarily before initiating impeachment proceedings during plenary.

According to the source, the controversy stemmed from the alleged reordering of the OSOPADEC budget without the knowledge or approval of other lawmakers.

“Yes, we are removing him. We want him to resign honourably, but if he refuses, we will impeach him on the floor of the House. The impeachment notice has already been initiated, and 21 members have signed it,” the lawmaker was quoted as saying.

The source further disclosed that the impeachment process began about three weeks ago but was temporarily suspended following interventions by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

“We delayed the process because the governor appealed to us. During our meeting, he advised the Speaker to resign. Now, we have resolved to proceed,” the lawmaker added.

Speaker Dismisses Impeachment Claims

Reacting to the reports, Oladiji denied any knowledge of an impeachment notice and referred inquiries to an official statement issued by his office.

In the statement titled “Re: Fabricated Resignation Rumours and Baseless ₦44m OSOPADEC Allegations: A Disservice to Truth and an Insult to Logic,” the Speaker’s office rejected the allegations in their entirety.

The statement maintained that Oladiji had never considered stepping down and insisted there was no leadership crisis within the 10th Ondo State House of Assembly.

It further described the reports as fabricated and orchestrated by unnamed political opponents seeking to create instability within the legislature.

According to the statement, the allegations were completely unfounded and intended to stir unnecessary political tension in the state.

The Speaker’s office also challenged those behind the claims to produce credible evidence to support their allegations, arguing that the reports lacked factual basis.

It stressed that members of the Assembly independently determine issues relating to their welfare and internal resource allocation without interference from the Speaker.

The statement added that the Speaker only receives funds lawfully allocated to his office through decisions collectively taken by members of the Assembly.

It also dismissed allegations that Oladiji excluded lawmakers from decisions involving the alleged ₦44 million OSOPADEC fund, describing the claim as entirely fabricated and designed to sow discord among legislators.

The Speaker’s office urged residents of Ondo State to disregard what it called false and misleading reports, insisting that anonymous sources were attempting to undermine the peace and stability of the Assembly and the state.