Fresh tension has gripped the Ondo State House of Assembly as lawmakers have openly turned against the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, over alleged moves to force through Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s ₦531 billion supplementary budget.
The governor had, on November 4, 2025, forwarded the supplementary budget to the Assembly, seeking approval for ₦254,448,081,000 in recurrent expenditure and ₦277,319,130,000 for capital projects for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.
The move, however, has triggered outrage among members, who questioned the rationale behind such a massive request barely two months before the end of the fiscal year, particularly when the 2025 Budget of Recovery has reportedly performed below 35 percent.
“Most projects in the 2025 budget have recorded less than 35 percent performance. What is the logic of requesting another ₦531 billion when the current budget has largely underperformed?”
— A lawmaker who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Sources told Sahara Reporters that the supplementary budget was read on the floor of the Assembly by the Clerk, Barrister Benjamin Jayeola, and has since been committed to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, chaired by Hon. Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi.
Lawmakers Walk Out in Anger
The November 4 sitting ended in chaos as several lawmakers reportedly staged a walkout following heated arguments over the proposal.
“We did not even finish the sitting at the House on November 4. Many lawmakers had to walk out. It became a rowdy session because many of us questioned what the executive has done with the funds already approved,” one source disclosed.
The lawmakers accused Speaker Olamide Oladiji of aligning with the governor to push through the budget despite widespread opposition.
“The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, who has turned himself into a rubber stamp in the hands of the executive, is aligning with the governor because of his political ambition to contest for the House of Representatives. But we are saying enough is enough,” the lawmaker added.
‘The Governor Is Threatening Us’
The crisis, insiders say, has deepened amid allegations of threats, blackmail, and executive pressure on dissenting members.
“The governor is threatening us. You know we don’t have autonomy yet, so he has control of our salary through the executive. He and his aides have been threatening that we won’t get a second return if we don’t pass the supplementary budget into law,” another aggrieved lawmaker revealed.
“They have even embarked on blackmailing some of us using our constituents. This government has not been transparent in its financial dealings. The budget performance is abysmal, yet they want another ₦531 billion. It’s simply unacceptable. You can imagine nothing is happening in the state, and you’re requesting another fund.”
Division Deepens Ahead of Wednesday Sitting
It was further learnt that only 11 members loyal to the Speaker have moved to commit the budget to the Committee on Finance and Appropriation, allegedly plotting to reconvene by 9 a.m. on Wednesday for a “kangaroo sitting” to pass it.
“Now, 11 members have had their way to commit the budget to the Committee on Finance and Appropriation. They plan to reconvene by 9 a.m. on Wednesday for a kangaroo sitting to pass the budget,” a source said.
However, several lawmakers have vowed to boycott the sitting, insisting the Speaker lacks the two-thirds majority required for passage.
“It’s better the people of Ondo State open their eyes to this carnage that is about to happen in the Assembly,” another source warned.
Governor Aiyedatiwa had earlier signed the 2025 Budget of Recovery totaling ₦698.659 billion — with 62 percent allocated to capital expenditure and 38 percent to recurrent costs — saying it reflected “the collective aspirations of Ondo residents” and aimed to rebuild the state’s economy.
But lawmakers insist that with the current budget barely implemented, the supplementary proposal is nothing but “a fiscal disaster in the making.”
Credit: Sahara Reporters
