The crisis rocking the leadership of the Ondo State House of Assembly took another dimension on Friday when 24 out of the 26 lawmakers allegedly declared their support for the removal of the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji.
The lawmakers were reported to have alleged Oladiji of financial impropriety, abuse of office and acting without the approval of the House.
The dispute is over N44 million said to be linked to the reordering of the budget of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission.
Olawunmi Fayemi-Obayelu, spokesman for the aggrieved lawmakers, representing Ilaje Constituency II, said three more lawmakers had joined the initial 21 to support the impeachment move.
“The development showed that the Speaker had lost the confidence of the overwhelming majority of the Assembly,” she said.
He said the lawmakers had carefully avoided making public comments after Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s intervention secured a two-week window for reconciliation.
But she said the peace period would lapse on Sunday, adding that the lawmakers still wanted Oladiji out.
Fayemi-Obayelu also accused the Speaker of passing a resolution in the name of the House without the approval of members.
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She also raised concerns about the management of electricity meters distributed under the state government’s O’Datiwa Meter Distribution Programme.
The legislator called on Oladiji to resign in the interest of the Assembly and also to save his political face.
Speaker claims political conspiracy
But Oladiji denied the allegations and said the action against him was politically motivated.
The Speaker said the impeachment move was politically motivated in view of the elections in 2027 and not on issues of financial accountability.
He said some of the lawmakers were disgruntled after they failed to get return tickets and were also unhappy over the alleged support for his continued leadership of the Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Chairman House Committee on Information and Assembly spokesman, Olatunji Fabiyi, said the Speaker’s explanation was unacceptable.
The impeachment move, Fabiyi said, was based on governance, accountability and alleged breach of legislative procedure.
He accused Oladiji of taking action on the re-ordering of the OSOPADEC budget without the approval of the House.
But the lawmakers’ determination to pursue the ouster of the Speaker did not waver, he said.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains have intervened in the crisis to reconcile the warring parties.
However, the aggrieved lawmakers said they had lost confidence in Oladiji’s leadership and were prepared to continue with the removal process.
