Ogun assembly pardons impeached ex-deputy speaker, passes pregnancy termination bill

n n

The Ogun State House of Assembly has passed a bill seeking to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality, promote safe motherhood and reproductive health rights, and establish conditions for the safe termination of pregnancy in accordance with legal indications and for connected purposes.

n

The bill, with the short title “H.B. No. 036/OG/2026 – Ogun State Safe Termination of Pregnancy Law, 2026”, was passed during Thursday’s plenary presided over by the Speaker, Oludaisi Elemide, at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

n

According to a statement by the clerk of the House on Thursday, the passage followed the presentation of the report of the House Committee on Health by its Chairman, Wahab Haruna, who moved for the adoption of the report. The motion was seconded by the Chief Whip, Hon. Omobola Bakare, and supported by the lawmakers through a voice vote.

n

The bill was subsequently considered and adopted clause-by-clause before the Committee of the Whole House.

n

The motion for its third reading was moved by Babatunde Tella and seconded by Lukman Adeleye. It was unanimously supported by the lawmakers through a voice vote, after which the Clerk/Head of Legislative Service, Mr Sakiru Adabakin, read the bill for the third time before the lawmakers.

n

The Speaker thereafter directed that a clean copy of the bill be transmitted to the state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for his assent.

n

Four other bills also scaled first reading during the plenary. They are the Gender Balance in Political and Public Offices Bill, 2026; the Group Liability for Offences of Violence, Extortion and Secret Societies (GLOVES) Bill, 2026; the Victims’ Rights Bill, 2026; and the Ogun State Human Sacrifice Prevention and Prohibition Bill, 2026.

n

In another development, the 10th Assembly resolved to pardon a former Deputy Speaker of the 9th Legislature, Hon. Dare Kadiri, by converting his removal from office to a resignation.

n

Kadiri, who represented Ijebu North II Constituency in the Assembly, was removed from office over alleged gross misconduct in March 2021.

n

His impeachment was pronounced by the then Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, after an ad hoc committee constituted to investigate the allegations against him found him guilty.

n

However, while presenting the report of the Committee of the Whole House on a letter of appeal forwarded to the Assembly by Kadiri, the Chief Whip, Omobola Bakare, said the committee sat on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, to consider his request to convert his impeachment and removal as Deputy Speaker to a voluntary resignation.

n

The lawmakers observed that the request “was not with the intention of revisiting the circumstances that led to the impeachment, apportioning blame, playing politics or attempting to establish his innocence regarding the issues of that time. Rather, he made the appeal as a former member of this respected House, who wishes to bring that chapter of his public service to a peaceful and dignified conclusion”.

n

Bakare subsequently moved for the adoption of the report, which was seconded by Hon. Bisi Oyedele and supported by other members through a voice vote.

n n