Key points
- Ondo State House of Assembly says plenary will not resume until Speaker Olamide Oladiji resigns.
- Twenty-one of the Assembly’s 26 lawmakers have reportedly backed moves to remove the Speaker.
- The crisis stems from allegations that the Speaker unilaterally reordered the OSOPADEC 2025 budget.
- A principal officer says state government intervention has resolved the dispute and plenary will resume soon.
Main story
The leadership crisis in the Ondo State House of Assembly has deepened, with lawmakers insisting that plenary will not resume until Speaker Olamide Oladiji resigns.
Assembly spokesperson, Olatunji Ifabiyi, said the majority of lawmakers remained committed to the Speaker’s removal over allegations that he unilaterally reordered the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) 2025 budget valued at N9.2 billion.
According to Ifabiyi, 21 of the Assembly’s 26 members have endorsed a resolution to impeach the Speaker if he fails to step down voluntarily.
“We have resolved not to hold plenary until there is a change of Speaker.
“For now, there is no development except that Mr Speaker should just give way and allow another person to preside over the Ondo State House of Assembly.
“If he doesn’t resign, we will impeach him. If he fails to do the needful, we will do the needful,” he said.
He did not indicate when the Assembly would reconvene but said he was unaware of reports that the state executive held a meeting with lawmakers on Sunday to resolve the crisis.
Ifabiyi also confirmed that allegations of an assassination plot against a member of the Assembly had been reported to the relevant security authorities for investigation.
However, a principal officer of the Assembly, who declined to be named, said the state executive had intervened and brokered peace among the parties.
According to the lawmaker, the details of the agreement remain confidential, but the dispute has been resolved through internal mechanisms.
“We are not permitted to disclose details of the outcome of the meeting.
“But I can tell you that the matter has been resolved. We employed internal mechanisms on the agitations in the House of Assembly, and we are going to hold plenary soon,” the source said.
The issues
The dispute highlights divisions within the Ondo State House of Assembly over legislative procedures and budget oversight. While the majority of lawmakers are demanding the Speaker’s resignation, reports of a peace agreement suggest efforts are underway to restore normal legislative activities without further escalation.
What’s being said
“We have resolved not to hold plenary until there is a change of Speaker.” — Olatunji Ifabiyi, Assembly spokesperson.
What’s next
Attention will shift to whether the reported peace agreement holds and whether the Assembly resumes plenary without proceeding with impeachment or the Speaker steps aside.
Bottom line
The Ondo Assembly remains at a standstill as lawmakers push for a leadership change, although behind-the-scenes mediation may have created a pathway toward resolving the crisis.
