Ondo Assembly crisis: Impeachment of Oladiji stalls as APC mediates

•Status quo remains as APC leadership seeks truce

THE impeachment move against the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Honourable Olamide Oladiji, seems to have been put on hold as the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) intensifies efforts to resolve the crisis rocking the state legislature.

The development followed a meeting between the APC leadership and the lawmakers involved in the dispute last Friday, where the party leadership appealed to the contending sides to sheath their swords and maintain the status quo pending the outcome of mediation efforts.

A source familiar with the meeting told the Nigerian Tribune that the party leadership was concerned about the possible consequences of allowing the disagreement to degenerate further, particularly at a time the party is preparing for the 2027 elections.

“The meeting was basically to appeal to both sides to calm down. The party does not want the matter to escalate beyond what it is at the moment. The position for now is that the status quo should remain while the leadership continues with the consultations,” the source said.

According to the source, the lawmakers who had commenced moves to remove the Speaker were asked not to take further steps until the party concludes its intervention.

The source further explained that the intervention was not necessarily an indication that the lawmakers had abandoned their grievances against the Speaker.

The source added: “The lawmakers were asked to sheath their swords for now. Nobody was told that the issues they raised had been swept under the carpet. The party simply wants everybody to allow the mediation process to continue.

“The impeachment matter has not been withdrawn. What happened is that there is now a window for political intervention. The party wants to see whether the issues can be resolved without allowing the House to go into another round of confrontation.”

The crisis had assumed a serious dimension after some lawmakers accused the Speaker of financial misconduct and abuse of office, particularly over an alleged N44 million transaction linked to the reordering of the 2026 budget of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC).

Oladiji, however, has denied the allegations, describing the impeachment move as politically motivated. He was also said to have been reaching out to political stakeholders in the state to intervene on his behalf.

The impeachment move reportedly began with 21 of the 26 lawmakers signing a notice demanding the Speaker’s resignation or removal from office. The number was later said to have risen to 24, underscoring the depth of opposition against the Speaker within the Assembly.

The development heightened tension in the legislature, with lawmakers divided over the leadership of the House and the circumstances surrounding the alleged financial transaction.

However, the APC intervention has temporarily halted further action, with the party asking the lawmakers to maintain the status quo while consultations continue.

The crisis has also raised questions about the relationship between the legislature and the executive, amid allegations and counter-allegations over the role of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

While some lawmakers have accused the governor of shielding the Speaker, the administration has maintained that the disagreement is an internal matter of the legislature and should be resolved by the lawmakers.

Oladiji has also maintained that the allegations against him are politically motivated, linking the impeachment attempt to the controversy surrounding the APC’s recent National Assembly primaries and suggesting that some lawmakers who lost their return tickets could be behind the move.

Meanwhile, the Assembly has commenced moves to examine its financial records, a development that could further shape the direction of the crisis and determine whether the allegations against the leadership of the House have any financial basis.

ALSO READ: FULL LIST: Meet head of Nigeria’s new ‘fake’ agency, 20 state coordinators, others

Recent reports have also quoted the lawmakers as saying they were awaiting further direction from the APC leadership before taking the next step.

For now, Oladiji remains Speaker of the House, while the lawmakers who backed his removal have not formally withdrawn their demand.

Another source close to the party leadership said the immediate objective was to prevent the disagreement from turning into a full-blown political crisis.

“What the party is trying to achieve is peace first. The status quo remains. The Speaker remains in office, and the lawmakers are expected to hold their fire while the leadership engages all the parties,” the source said.

The source, however, cautioned that the temporary truce should not be interpreted as a final resolution of the crisis.

“There are still issues that must be addressed. The party knows this. The lawmakers have their grievances, and those grievances cannot simply disappear because of one meeting. The leadership has to find a lasting solution,” the source added.