The Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, has dismissed an alleged plot to impeach him by some members of the Assembly, describing the move as a distraction and a misplaced priority.

Oladiji’s position comes after 14 lawmakers declared their support for him and passed a vote of confidence on his leadership. This followed an earlier no-confidence vote passed by 12 of the 26 lawmakers, who accused him of gross misconduct and misappropriation of Assembly funds.

The crisis deepened after some lawmakers staged a walkout to protest Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s N531 billion supplementary budget, accusing Oladiji of attempting to rush the bill through despite what they described as poor performance of the 2025 budget, with less than two months left in the fiscal year.

Speaking to journalists in Akure, the Speaker said the Assembly would not be distracted from amending and passing the reordered 2025 Appropriation Act. He warned that failure to attend to the amendment—an action backed by the aggrieved lawmakers—would cripple the Aiyedatiwa administration.

Flanked by Deputy Speaker Olalade Gbegudu, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation Chairman Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, and Olawumi Fayemi-Obayelu (Ilaje 2), Oladiji insisted that the Assembly under his leadership would carry out its constitutional duties without being drawn into premature political battles ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said: “We have a standing order in the House, including how we relate with the Executive. These honourable members who passed a vote of no confidence on me have not been attending plenary. As I speak, most of them are outside the country.

“According to them, they have some demands from His Excellency, the Governor. Our position is that if we have requests, we should not tie them to our legislative duties, especially the supplementary (re-ordered) budget.

“But they believe the passage of the budget should be used to press home their demands. Fourteen of us disagreed. We are part of this government, and if we have requests, they should be made maturely and not by frustrating government activities.”

He further clarified that what was considered by the Assembly was not strictly a supplementary budget but a budget reordering.
Oladiji maintained that the 14 supportive lawmakers remain united and have the backing of Governor Aiyedatiwa. “What we are doing is not personal,” he said.