Ondo Assembly Crisis: Why 21 aggrieved lawmakers want me sacked – Embattled Speaker

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Ondo State House of Assembly.

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…lt’s all about 2027, matter will soon be settled

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…He must go- 21 aggrieved lawmakers insist

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By Dayo Johnson Akure

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The Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, has attributed the move by 21 lawmakers seeking his removal to political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections.

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Oladiji broke his silence on Wednesday amid calls for his resignation or impeachment over allegations of financial misconduct involving about ₦44 million linked to the reordering of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) budget.

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According to him, the agitation against his leadership is politically motivated.

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“They don’t want me to come back as Speaker in 2027. That is the major issue,” Oladiji said.

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“We are all politicians and we know these complaints they are raising. Have they been making these complaints over the past three years? Why now, during the electioneering period?”

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Twenty-one of the 26 members of the Assembly have demanded the Speaker’s resignation or impeachment.

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The lawmakers accused Oladiji of approving a House resolution on the OSOPADEC budget reordering without the Assembly’s approval and of presiding over infrequent legislative sittings.

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They alleged that only four plenary sessions had been held in the past seven months, a situation they said had slowed legislative activities.

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The aggrieved lawmakers also maintained that they would not resume plenary until the Speaker steps down, despite several meetings with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

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Governor Aiyedatiwa, who is believed to be sympathetic to the Speaker, has reportedly appealed to the lawmakers to allow time for efforts to resolve the crisis.

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Expressing confidence that the dispute would soon be resolved, Oladiji said the matter was being handled through internal party mechanisms.

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“We have the leader of the party in the APC, and they are trying to intervene. We have a way of settling our issues,” he said.

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“We have been attending a series of meetings and, by the grace of God, in another one week, it will become a thing of the past.”

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However, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information and Assembly spokesperson, Hon. Olatunji Fabiyi, rejected the Speaker’s claim that the crisis was linked to the 2027 elections.

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Fabiyi said the lawmakers’ grievances were based on allegations of misconduct and abuse of office.

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“He claimed some of us did not get return tickets, but we have been observing his actions for a long time,” Fabiyi said.

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“The issue is not about tickets. The question is whether the Speaker should unilaterally issue a resolution claiming the House approved the OSOPADEC budget reordering without the Assembly’s approval.”

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He insisted that the lawmakers remained united in their demand for the Speaker’s removal.

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“Our resolution still stands: he must go. Anyone supporting him at this stage should explain why. Whoever is backing him is an accomplice,” Fabiyi said.

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