The top leadership of the Ondo State House of Assembly has pushed back against allegations of financial wrongdoing, insisting that the lawmakers challenging the Speaker are operating outside the rules guiding legislative conduct.
Over the weekend, the Speaker, Chief Olamide Oladiji, alongside his deputy, Ololade Gbegudu, Owo Constituency I representative, Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, and Princess Olawunmi Fayemi Obayelu, briefed reporters on the rising tensions within the House.
Oladiji explained that the dispute was linked to the ongoing adjustment of the state’s budget, a process he said became unavoidable due to the difficult financial situation facing the government. He noted that a failure to revise the figures could result in unpaid salaries and abandoned projects.
“What we are doing is not personal; this is an executive bill. Our duty is to ensure the state moves forward. We cannot frustrate the government’s efforts,” he said.
He dismissed claims that 12 lawmakers had passed a vote of no confidence in him, stressing that no such action had been taken during a formal sitting.
“A vote of no confidence must be done formally, on the floor and communicated to the Clerk. What they are doing on social media has no legality. These same members have not been attending sittings,” he stated.
The Speaker also refuted the allegation that fifty million naira earmarked for a public hearing was misused, maintaining that the claim was baseless and driven by political motives.