The Ondo State House of Assembly faces a deepening political crisis as 26 lawmakers have split into two rival factions over allegations targeting the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, with calls for his impeachment gaining momentum.
The discord centered on the handling of a controversial ₦531.7 billion supplementary budget currently before the Assembly, fueling tensions between lawmakers and the executive arm of government.
One camp accused the Speaker of mismanagement, while the other defended his stewardship, insisting that all legislative protocols were followed.
The crisis escalated following renewed clashes between the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration over the supplementary budget proposal.
No fewer than 12 lawmakers have passed a vote of no confidence in the Speaker, accusing him of gross misconduct, including the diversion of ₦50 million meant for public hearings and the misappropriation of the Assembly’s monthly operational funds.
The aggrieved lawmakers claimed that the actions of the Speaker breached constitutional provisions, anti-corruption laws, and public trust.
The group invoked Section 92(4)(c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the legislature to remove the Speaker for undermining public trust or violating official duties. Lawmakers leading the call for impeachment included Jide Oguntodu, Temitope Akomolafe, Fatai Atere, among others.
Sources indicated that the root of the conflict lied in dissatisfaction with how the supplementary budget was introduced.
Governor Lucy Aiyedatiwa had recently signed the 2025 Appropriation Bill of ₦698 billion into law, yet presented a supplementary budget just months before the fiscal year ends, without prior briefing or consultation with the Assembly on the current budget’s performance, which is reported to be only 22 per cent implemented.
Critics argued that the ₦531.7 billion supplementary budget nearly the same figure with the approved budget, raising serious questions about fiscal responsibility and transparency in state government.
The opposition PDP condemned the governor’s “reckless attempt” to push through the enormous supplementary budget so close to year-end, highlighting that the initial 2025 budget, themed “Budget of Recovery,” allocated a large portion to capital projects which have yet to see satisfactory progress.
PDP Publicity Director, Wande Ajayi, criticised the proposal as prioritising recurrent expenditure over critical sectors such as health, education, and infrastructure.
He warned that the move could be aimed at diverting funds for political purposes ahead of the next elections, urging the governor to withdraw the supplementary request and allow an independent audit of state finances.
In response, Allen Sowore, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to Governor Aiyedatiwa, denied all allegations of misconduct or fiscal recklessness. He clarified that the document before the Assembly was not a new supplementary budget but a revised and restructured version of the original ₦698.6 billion budget, adjusted to reflect lower expected revenues after funds from development partners failed to materialise.
Sowore stressed that this downward adjustment was necessary for realistic budgeting and accused the PDP of spreading misinformation. He affirmed the governor’s commitment to due legislative process, fiscal discipline, and transparency in governance.
As both camps consolidated their support bases and hold separate strategic meetings, the political rivalry threatens to stall legislative functions in Ondo State, heightening uncertainty over the Assembly’s stability and the governance of the state in the coming months.
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