Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Ondo State House of Assembly is in a state of high drama, with the embattled Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, and the lawmakers pushing for his removal locked in a fierce war of words over the status of the impeachment process. While the Speaker insists the matter has been resolved, the Assembly spokesman maintains that the lawmakers are determined to remove him and that "there is no going back".
The latest twist in the crisis came on Thursday, August 27, 2026, when suspected political thugs reportedly invaded the Assembly complex, throwing the legislative chamber into chaos and forcing lawmakers to suspend plenary. According to sources, about 15 suspected thugs arrived in a bus, gaining access through the parliamentary wing and moving from office to office, causing panic among staff and lawmakers. A staff member who spoke anonymously said he had to hide in a toilet, as the men were speaking loudly and discussing the political crisis. Police operatives from the A Division Police Station later intervened and drove the suspected thugs out of the complex.
A lawmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, accused the Speaker of sending the thugs to the Assembly to prevent plenary from being held. "The Speaker sent thugs to the Assembly to attack us, but he was disappointed; we sent them out, but we did not hold plenary again. But we will still meet to impeach him," the lawmaker alleged. However, Oladiji denied sponsoring the men, explaining that they were members of his constituency whom he had invited to collect recruitment forms.
The crisis has been brewing for weeks, with 21 of the 26 members of the House reportedly signing an impeachment notice against Oladiji over allegations of financial misconduct. The lawmakers accused the Speaker of mismanaging N44 million released for the reordering of the budget of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC). He was also accused of unilaterally reordering the commission's 2026 budget for personal gains. The aggrieved lawmakers gave the Speaker a deadline to resign or face impeachment on the floor of the House.
However, the impeachment move was stalled following interventions by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The Assembly spokesperson, Olatunji Ifabiyi, who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, dismissed reports that the lawmakers had abandoned plans to remove Oladiji. Ifabiyi said the ongoing reconciliation efforts had not stopped the impeachment process, insisting that the lawmakers remained determined to remove the Speaker. "We have been hearing reports that we have stopped the process; that is not correct; it is misinformation. We are still on it. He cannot continue as our Speaker," Ifabiyi said. "Although Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been speaking with some of us, that does not stop the impeachment process. There is no going back," he added.
But Oladiji has denied any impeachment process against him, stating that the issues that triggered the crisis had been resolved through the intervention of the governor and APC leaders. "There is nothing like an impeachment process because the issues have been resolved. There is no impeachment," the Speaker said in a statement. He added that the intervention had paved the way for the lawmakers to resume parliamentary activities. Oladiji also addressed the incident involving the youth leaders, explaining that the three men who visited the Assembly complex were there to collect recruitment forms and had previously visited the premises. "I came out of my office and explained to the members that they were my guests and had visited the Assembly on previous occasions. They did not harass anyone, but some members insisted they should leave. We were able to resolve the matter, and there was nothing like an impeachment notice or impeachment process," he said.
The conflicting positions have exposed a fresh fault line within the Assembly, with the fate of the Speaker hanging in the balance despite reported intervention by the governor and APC leaders. As the crisis continues, one lawmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declared that the impeachment would proceed regardless of the governor's intervention. "He (the embattled Speaker) sent thugs to the Assembly to attack us, but he was disappointed. We sent them out, but we did not hold plenary again. But we will still meet to impeach him," the lawmaker stated. The impeachment process against Oladiji remains a tense and uncertain affair, with both sides refusing to back down.
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