Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Ondo State House of Assembly is set to determine the fate of Speaker Olamide Oladiji and Deputy Speaker Ololade Gbegudu during Tuesday's plenary session after the two leaders failed to resign over allegations surrounding the handling of ₦44 million reportedly received from the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, multiple sources have confirmed. The crisis, which has thrown the 26-member Assembly into turmoil, centres on accusations that the Speaker, his deputy, and the Clerk of the House, Benjamin Jaiyeola, managed the funds without the knowledge or consent of other lawmakers. According to sources within the Assembly, the money was released by OSOPADEC for the benefit of the entire legislature, but members were allegedly not carried along in its handling and disbursement.
The development follows SaharaReporters' exclusive report on Monday that Oladiji had contemplated resigning amid mounting pressure from lawmakers but shelved the plan after the intervention of influential political figures. Sources told SaharaReporters that lawmakers had given the Speaker the option of resigning quietly to avoid a public debate on the allegations, but when he failed to do so, members resolved to act decisively during Tuesday's plenary. "The leadership of the House has gathered and they are discussing the matter," one source said. "Both the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and the Clerk allegedly handled the issue without the knowledge of the other members". Another source added that lawmakers were disappointed the Speaker did not take what they considered the honourable option of resigning on Monday. "Since he did not take what they considered the honourable option of resigning yesterday, we don't know what will happen today," the source said.
The crisis has also extended to the Clerk of the House, with lawmakers reportedly seeking his redeployment. "They have also written to the appropriate authorities requesting that the Clerk be redeployed because, after all, the Clerk is a civil servant," a source said. The sources further indicated that lawmakers could take action against the Clerk during Tuesday's plenary, including barring him from entering the chamber.
The latest controversy comes months after Speaker Oladiji survived an impeachment attempt in November 2025, when 12 lawmakers sought his removal over allegations of financial misappropriation and failure to provide financial records to members. At that time, the Assembly was sharply divided, with 14 lawmakers backing the Speaker while 12 others stayed away from legislative activities. The renewed crisis also comes amid growing scrutiny of OSOPADEC's financial management. Earlier this month, the Ondo State Auditor-General reportedly queried seven contracts valued at about ₦6.7 billion after the commission failed to provide procurement and contract documents requested during the 2025 audit. In February, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa redeployed the commission's Secretary, Princess Abike Bayo-Ilawole, following allegations involving the diversion of ₦463 million from OSOPADEC's capital account.
As of Tuesday morning, the allegations against the Speaker remained unproven, and no official statement had been issued by the Ondo State House of Assembly or OSOPADEC. However, sources confirmed that members were determined to take a decision during the day's plenary, unless the session is called off. "Some people have been intervening and appealing for calm, but the members insist they will take a decision today during plenary," a source said. If Oladiji and Gbegudu fail to resign, lawmakers are expected to debate the matter publicly and set up a committee to investigate the alleged diversion of funds.
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