Ondo Assembly crisis deepens as Speaker, lawmakers exchange fresh accusations

The embattled Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon. Olamide Oladiji, on Wednesday, broke his silence on the lingering leadership crisis rocking the Assembly, alleging that the move to remove him is driven by political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on the controversy surrounding the attempt to oust him, Oladiji said the real objective of his opponents was to prevent him from returning as Speaker if he secures re-election next year, claiming the governor is also supporting his return to the office.

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

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The Speaker stated that the allegations against him were politically motivated, noting that none of the complaints being raised had surfaced during the more than three years he has presided over the Assembly.

“We are all politicians and we know all these complaints they are giving. Have they been giving them in the past three years? Why now during the electioneering period?” he queried

Oladiji alleged that many of those championing the move against him were lawmakers who failed to secure the APC ticket for the 2027 elections.

He also claimed that some members were uncomfortable with the prospect of his re-emergence as Speaker because they believed Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa still favoured his return.

He noted that the House had enjoyed relative peace under his leadership, insisting that his administration had been stable and devoid of major internal crises until the current political disagreements emerged.

Oladiji, however, disclosed that the crisis had prompted a series of reconciliation meetings involving leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other stakeholders, expressing optimism that the dispute would soon be resolved.

“We are distinguished colleagues, and we have a way of settling our issues. We have the leader of the party in the APC trying to wade in, and we are working towards resolving the matter.

“By the grace of God, in another one week it will become a thing of the past,” he said.

However, the spokesperson for the aggrieved lawmakers, Hon. Olatunji Fabiyi, dismissed the Speaker’s claims, insisting that the move to remove Oladiji had nothing to do with the outcome of the APC ticketing process.

Responding to the Speaker’s allegation that some lawmakers were acting out of frustration after losing their return tickets, Fabiyi said the crisis was triggered by the acts of misconduct and abuse of office by the Speaker.

“He said some of us didn’t get return tickets. We thank him for reminding us that, but we have been watching him all along while he carried on with his shenanigans.

“This is not about tickets. The Speaker does not have the power to give anybody a ticket. The fact remains that some of us who are there are not fighting him because of tickets. He doesn’t have the power to give us tickets.

Fabiyi accused Oladiji of unilaterally issuing a resolution on the reordering of the state budget without the approval of the House, describing the action as fraudulent.

“Is it the issue of tickets that made him forge the resolution of the whole House? The budget is an appropriation over which the House has constitutional responsibility.

“The Speaker, alongside his deputy, turned himself into the alpha and omega, sidelined other lawmakers and went ahead to issue a resolution claiming the House had approved budget reordering. Is that not fraud?” he queried.

He made mention of the fact that some of us didn’t get return tickets; well, we thank him so much for saying that. But all along, ‎we have been looking at him, watching him, when he has been doing all his shenanigans.

Fabiyi also dismissed the Speaker’s claim that external political forces were behind the crisis, alleging that Oladiji had previously accused the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, of sponsoring the lawmakers’ opposition to him.

“When we first raised issues against him, he told the governor that BTO was sponsoring us. Now he is saying it is because some of us lost our tickets. Those are mere excuses,” Fabiyi said.

The lawmaker maintained that the lawmakers’ position remained unchanged, insisting that the Speaker must vacate office.

“Our resolution still stands that Oladiji must go. Anybody backing him at this stage should be asked what he is benefiting from the House. Whoever is supporting him is an accomplice,” he added.