The political tension within the Ondo State House of Assembly escalated on Friday after 12 lawmakers issued a vote of no confidence in the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, marking a major step toward possible impeachment.
The lawmakers, who signed the notice, accused the Speaker of gross misconduct and urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to launch an immediate probe to recover what they described as misappropriated public funds under Oladiji’s leadership.
The dispute in the Assembly intensified earlier in the week when several lawmakers staged a walkout during deliberations on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s N531 billion supplementary budget. They alleged that Oladiji attempted to fast-track the bill despite what they called the “poor performance” of the 2025 budget, with less than two months left in the fiscal year.
The lawmakers who endorsed the impeachment notice are Jide Oguntodu (Akure South 1), Temitope Akomolafe (Ifedore), Fatai Atere (Akoko North/West 1), Toyin Japhet (Akoko North East), Raymond Daodu (Akoko South West 1), and Samuel Ifabiyi (Odigbo 1).
Others are Babatunde Fasonu (Odigbo 2), Oluwatosin Ogunlowo (Idanre), Afe Felix (Akoko North/West 2), Nelson Akinsuroju (Ile Oluji/Oke-Igbo), Akinruntan Abayomi (Ilaje 1), and Stephen Abitogun (Akure South 2).
In the notice, the lawmakers alleged that the Speaker diverted N50 million allocated for a public hearing and mismanaged the Assembly’s monthly operational grants. They described these actions as violations of constitutional provisions and criminal statutes.
According to them, the infractions contravene paragraph 9, Part I, Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) on abuse of office, as well as the Seventh Schedule relating to the Oath of Office and Oath of Allegiance. They also cited “Section 19, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 – abuse of office to confer corrupt or unfair advantage, Section 390, Criminal Code Act (Cap. C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004) – stealing by a person in the public service.
“The said infractions amount to gross misconduct within the meaning ascribed by Section 188(11) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) (applied by necessary implication), and have gravely impaired the institutional integrity and lawful operations of the House,” the lawmakers stated.
Reacting to the development, an aide to the Speaker, who preferred not to be named, dismissed the impeachment move, describing it as “a political storm in a teacup” and insisting the attempt is “dead on arrival.”
