Ondo Assembly members accuse governor of shielding Speaker over N44m scam

A significant rift has emerged within the Ondo State House of Assembly, with 21 members accusing Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of obstructing the removal of Speaker Olamide Oladiji. The core of the dispute centers on allegations of financial misconduct, specifically concerning about ₦44 million purportedly linked to the reordering of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) budget.

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We still have seven days to go. I have the opinion that the governor is calling some members to backpedal on the issue of impeachment. I don’t know the special interest Mr. Governor has.

The aggrieved lawmakers have publicly challenged the governor, questioning his motives for protecting the Speaker and warning him to stay out of Assembly affairs if he desires peace. Sources indicate that Governor Aiyedatiwa and the state's All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership have been attempting to placate the dissenting members. However, the 21 legislators remain resolute, demanding the Speaker's resignation or facing impeachment proceedings.

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21 members have signed an impeachment notice against Mr. Speaker. Unless the government is telling us they have something in common.

Hon. Olatunji Fabiyi, the Assembly's spokesperson, revealed that the governor allegedly asked some members to withdraw their support for the impeachment move. Fabiyi stated that the Speaker was given 14 days to consider resigning, with seven days already elapsed. "I don’t know the special interest Mr. Governor has," Fabiyi commented, emphasizing that 21 members have signed the impeachment notice. He asserted that the matter is an internal affair of the House and not an executive concern, questioning why the governor would protect one Speaker without a "hidden agenda."

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It is exclusively a private affair of the House. It is not an executive affair. If there is no hidden agenda, I see no reason why Mr. Governor should be protecting one Speaker. If there is a hidden agenda, let him say it to the whole world.

The lawmakers have declared their intention to boycott plenary sessions until a new Speaker is elected. "We have resolved not to hold plenary until there is a change of Speaker," Fabiyi announced. He added that if the current Speaker fails to resign, they will proceed with impeachment. Meanwhile, the state APC Chairman, Hon. Babatunde Kolawole, described the crisis as an internal matter for the Assembly to resolve independently.

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We have resolved not to hold plenary until there is a change of Speaker.