Members of the Ondo State House of Assembly have suspended the planned removal of its Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, following the intervention of the leadership of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The lawmakers have, however, set up a committee to audit the finances of the legislature.
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Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Tunji Fabiyi, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday in Akure, the state capital after a Parliamentary Session.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that 21 members of the House recently demanded Mr Oladiji’s resignation or face forceful removal over allegations of misconduct and mishandling of N44 million largesse from the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC).
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He was also accused of unilaterally reordering the commission’s 2026 budget for personal gains.
The speaker has denied any wrongdoing, vowing that he would not resign. He described the allegations as false and politically motivated.
On its part, OSOPADEC, through its spokesperson, Godson Ewata, dissociated itself from the crisis.
The commission expressed concern over “sustained campaigns of misinformation” in publications, commentaries, videos, and social media content allegedly aimed at linking it to the crisis.
It warned that any further attempt to associate the commission with issues outside its statutory mandate would be regarded as a deliberate effort to mislead the public, damage the commission’s reputation, and erode public confidence in its leadership.
This newspaper also reported that a civic organisation petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate top officials of the Ondo State House of Assembly over alleged forgery and fraudulent alteration of the N70 billion OSOPADEC 2025 budget.
The lawmakers restated their demands during the parliamentary session on Wednesday, though Mr Oladiji and his deputy were absent from the session.
However, Mr Fabiyi said plans had been concluded on the speaker’s removal, and that they were merely awaiting the outcome of the intervention by the leadership of the APC.
“We are still waiting for the leadership of the party. We cannot proceed further until the party gives us direction, so the matter is pending,” he said.
According to him, it is right that the executive is not interfering in legislative affairs, but appropriate for the ruling party to mediate because all the 26 members of the Assembly belong to the party.
“We are unable to proceed further until the leadership of the party asks us to proceed. So, it is pending. We are still on course.
“It is normal for the party to intervene because we are all members of the same family. The APC has total control of the Ondo State House of Assembly.
“Our father should call all his sons together to discuss whatever crisis has arisen so that it can be resolved. But our father will not prefer one person at the expense of the other 26 members.
“It is our party, and the fact remains that we want to change the kind of leadership we currently have. There is no opposition among us; we all belong to the same political party. Our father will not prefer one person at the expense of 26 members. Our father will not do that,” he said.
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Mr Fabiyi explained that the assembly reconvened in response to public concerns over the prolonged absence of plenary sittings, assuring the people of the commitment of members to their constitutional responsibility.
He said it passed resolutions on key developmental issues and also constituted an audit committee expected to examine the Assembly’s financial and administrative records and make recommendations where necessary.
“The House deliberated on issues affecting the state, including constituency projects, flooding and other developmental challenges confronting communities across Ondo State,” he said.
“Lawmakers from riverine areas raised concerns over recurring flooding, prompting the Assembly to pass resolutions and call on relevant government agencies to take urgent action.
“The House adjourned to reconvene in about two weeks and directed all standing committees to resume their regular sittings and oversight functions.”
Meanwhile, the secretary of the Ondo APC, Alex Kalejaye, confirmed the intervention of party leadership, noting that the crisis was a backlash of the contentious primaries.
“It is necessary that as a party we make the effort to resolve the different interests that arose from the last primaries.
“This is to enable us to produce a united front ahead of the forthcoming general election,” he said.
Mr Kalejaye assured that the issues would be resolved amicably, taking into account all interests and tendencies within the party.
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