The impeachment process against the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, has been temporarily suspended as lawmakers await the intervention and directive of the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The decision follows weeks of political tension within the Assembly after a majority of lawmakers accused the Speaker of financial misconduct and poor leadership, prompting moves to remove him from office.
A total of 21 out of the 26 members of the Assembly had earlier signed an impeachment notice and reportedly gave Oladiji until August 2 to resign voluntarily. However, the deadline expired without any impeachment proceedings being carried out.
Speaking with journalists at the Assembly Complex in Akure on Wednesday, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Olatunji Ifabiyi, explained that the impeachment process had not been abandoned but was merely placed on hold pending the position of the ruling party.
According to him, the lawmakers are waiting for the APC leadership to provide direction before taking any further constitutional action.
“We are still waiting for the leadership of the party. We cannot proceed further until the party gives us direction, so the matter is pending. We are unable to proceed until the leadership of the party asks us to proceed. It is pending, but we are still on course,” Ifabiyi said.
He noted that it was only natural for the APC to intervene since every member of the Ondo State House of Assembly was elected under the platform of the party.
Describing the crisis as an internal family matter, Ifabiyi said the party leadership had a responsibility to mediate and seek a peaceful resolution.
“It is normal for the party to intervene because we are all members of the same family. The APC has total control of the Ondo State House of Assembly. Our father should call all his sons together to discuss whatever crisis has arisen so that it can be resolved,” he added.
Despite welcoming the party’s mediation efforts, the lawmaker warned that the interests of the majority of Assembly members should not be sacrificed in an attempt to protect the Speaker.
He insisted that lawmakers remained united in their desire to change the current leadership of the Assembly.
“Our father will not prefer one person at the expense of the other 26 members. It is our party, and the fact remains that we want to change the kind of leadership we currently have. There is no opposition among us; we all belong to the same political party,” he stated.
Ifabiyi also clarified that while the executive arm of government has no constitutional authority over the internal affairs of the legislature, the APC, as the political platform that produced all the lawmakers, is well within its rights to facilitate reconciliation.
Meanwhile, the committee chairman assured residents of Ondo State that legislative activities had resumed despite the leadership crisis.
He explained that the House reconvened following public concerns over the prolonged suspension of plenary sittings and has since considered and passed several resolutions on issues affecting the development of the state.
He further disclosed that the Assembly had established an audit committee to examine its financial and administrative records with a view to promoting transparency, accountability and improved institutional governance.
Although the impeachment process has been suspended for now, the development suggests that the political future of the Speaker will largely depend on the outcome of ongoing consultations within the leadership of the ruling APC. Lawmakers have maintained that the process remains active and could proceed once the party concludes its mediation efforts.
