Impeachment Saga: Oyo Speaker admits inducement attempt

In a significant development, the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, on Tuesday confirmed that he had been approached with a monetary inducement but categorically rejected it.

The Speaker equally dismissed claims that he received money from proxies in the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to facilitate impeachment of Governor Seyi Makinde.

Ogundoyin described the allegation as false and politically motivated.

“I was offered monetary inducement, but I declined without hesitation because no amount of money can buy my conscience or compromise my loyalty to the governor, the party, and the people we were elected to serve.

“I remain fully committed to upholding the integrity of this House and will not be part of any agenda aimed at destabilising the government,” he said.

Ogundoyin reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty to Governor Makinde and the ruling party, insisting that he would never betray the mandate of the people or undermine the administration.

He added that no money exchanged hands at any meeting and maintained that rumours suggesting otherwise were fabricated to destabilise both the government and the legislature.

The speaker also addressed claims surrounding his visit to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, clarifying that the meeting was purely consultative and took place weeks earlier.

According to him, the visit was to inform the monarch of his governorship ambition and seek royal blessings.

Ogundoyin stressed that the visit was rooted in respect and tradition rather than political scheming.

He urged the public to disregard what he described as unfounded attempts to create division within the state’s leadership, while reiterating that the Assembly under his leadership remains committed to constitutional order, good governance, and the collective interest of the people.

Meanwhile, Shola Ladoja, son of the Olubadan, has also moved to clarify the circumstances surrounding the speaker’s visit to his father.

He explained that while the meeting had political undertones, it was not connected to any impeachment plot, financial inducement, or opposition party agenda.

Addressing controversy generated by his earlier comments, he said: “My recent tweet was deleted because I realised a lot of people thought I meant a payment receipt. No. I meant receipt of our conversations.”

He further clarified: “Yes, the visit was political, but there was nothing like impeachment discussions, no APC agenda, and no money involved.”

Shola confirmed that he facilitated the meeting after being approached by the speaker but cautioned against misinterpretations capable of inflaming tensions in the state.

The Eagle Online earlier reported that the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has also refuted claims that he is planning to unseat Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.

The monarch spoke on Tuesday in a statement issued by his media aide, Adeola Oloko, after the allegation against him went viral.

Oba Ladoja described the claim as false and misleading.

The statement said: “You don’t have to be a former governor or a distinguished senator to know that a monarch has no power to impeach a local government chairman, not to talk of a state governor.

“This becomes intriguing, considering that less than 24 hours ago, the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, alleged a purported plot by the state governor to remove the Olubadan.

“Today, it is the Olubadan who is allegedly planning to impeach the governor.

“So, who is fooling who?”