Crisis Rock Ondo Assembly Over Attempts To Impeach Speaker

The Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, has said that the demands of the 12 lawmakers calling for his impeachment were personal and not for the betterment of the state.

This is coming as 14 lawmakers in the Assembly passed a vote of confidence in the Speaker.

Speaking with newsmen in Akure on the alleged plot to impeach him, the Speaker said that the agitations of the aggrieved lawmakers were a misplaced priority.

Oladiji declared that their agitation cannot frustrate the Assembly from amending and passing the re-ordered 2025 State Appropriation Budget presented by the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

While declaring that he was not worried by their impeachment threat, the Speaker said that he would always ensure that the Assembly performs its constitutional responsibilities without unnecessary politics ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Flanked by the Deputy Speaker, Olalade Gbegudu; the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi; as well as the Ilaje-II lawmaker, Fayemi-Obayelu Olawumi, he asked the people of the state to discountenance the call for his removal over allegations of gross misconduct.

On the allegation of diversion of N50m, the Speaker punctured the allegation, saying he doesn’t deal with or handle the funds of the Assembly.

Oladiji said he has been piloting the affairs of the Assembly in line with the Rules and Standing Orders of the State House of Assembly.

According to him, “We have a standing order in the House of Assembly, like we have a way of relating with the Executive. Like it says, these honourable members that have passed a vote of no confidence on me and the leadership of the House have not been coming to the House for their legislative assignments.

“As I’m talking to you now, the majority of them are outside the country, and what really happened was that, according to them, they said they have some demands or requests from His Excellency, that is, the Governor of the State.

“If at all we have a request, or if at all we have any demand from His Excellency or the Executive, we should not tie it with our legislative assignments, which is the re-ordering, or what we call the supplementary budgets.

“But they are of the opinion that at least we should use the passage of the supplementary (re-ordered) budget to drive home our request, of which the 14 (lawmakers) disagreed.

“If at all we want to make requests, we should do it in a mature way, but not by frustrating the activities of the government.

“So we, at least the 14 of us, are strongly together, and we have the backing of the Governor of the state, because what we are doing is not personal.”

Oladiji vowed that the Assembly would continue to support Governor Aiyedatiwa to deliver dividends of democracy for the people of the state.

Meanwhile, 14 members of the Assembly have passed a vote of confidence in the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji.

The resolution to pass the vote of confidence in the Speaker was signed by 14 out of the 26 members of the Assembly.

Those who signed the resolution include:

Rt. Hon. Gbegudu Ololade James – Okitipupa II;

Hon. (Chief) Oshati Olatunji Emmanuel – Ose;

Hon. Suleiman Murtala – Akoko South-East;

Hon. Ogunwumiju MoyinOlorun Taiwo – Ondo West I;

Hon. (Primate) Allen Messiah Oluwatoyin – Ese-Odo;

Hon. Oluwole Emmanuel Ogunmolasuyi – Owo I;

Hon. (Princess) Fayemi-Obayelu Olawumi – Ilaje II;

Hon. Oladapo John Biola – Ondo West II;

Hon. (Prophetess) Witherspoon Atinuke M. – Owo II;

Hon. (Dr.) Ogunlana Christopher – Irele;

Hon. Ayebusiwa Odunayo Chris – Okitipupa I;

Hon. Ologede Kolawole Micheal – Akure North;

Hon. Agbulu Tope Akeem – Akoko South-West II.

In their resolution, the 14 lawmakers said that “the alleged claim of misappropriation of monthly operational grants of the House was borne out of malice bereft of facts.

“NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by Fourteen (14) Honourable Members of the House in the lawful exercise of authority conferred by Section 92 (2) (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

“A vote of confidence is hereby passed on Rt. Hon. (Chief) Olamide Oladiji Adesanmi, Speaker, 10th Assembly, Ondo State House of Assembly, and the leadership of the House.

“That the present leadership of the House has been transparent with other Members and working harmoniously with Mr. Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, in the interest of Ondo State.”

The leadership assured “all Members of the Ondo State House of Assembly and the good people of Ondo State of continued transparency to bring more dividends of democracy to our people in accordance with our EASE government.”