The political crisis rocking the Ondo State House of Assembly deepened on Tuesday as lawmakers reportedly secured 21 signatures in a move to impeach Speaker Olamide Oladiji over allegations surrounding the handling of ₦44 million reportedly received from the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC).
Sources within the Assembly told the media that the Speaker did not resign despite mounting pressure from lawmakers who had earlier given him the option of stepping down quietly to avoid a public showdown.
According to the sources, the failure of the Speaker to resign has intensified tensions within the Assembly, with members now pushing ahead with impeachment plans. 
“The Speaker did not resign,” a source familiar with the development said.
“The House has reportedly gotten 21 signatures to impeach him. The drama is still on.”
The latest development comes hours after the media exclusively reported that lawmakers were expected to determine the political fate of Speaker Oladiji and Deputy Speaker Ololade Gbegudu during Tuesday’s plenary following allegations linked to the reported ₦44 million received from OSOPADEC.
Sources had alleged that the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Clerk of the House, Benjamin Jaiyeola, handled the funds without informing other lawmakers.
The crisis further escalated earlier on Tuesday when Hon. Dr. Olawumi Fayemi-Obayelu, who represents Ilaje Constituency II, alleged that she had narrowly escaped an assassination attempt and had received repeated threats over what she described as her investigation into alleged bribery, forgery and corruption involving the Speaker and OSOPADEC.
The lawmaker insisted that no amount of intimidation would stop her from exposing alleged financial misconduct within the Assembly.
Fayemi-Obayelu also reaffirmed what she described as the position of two-thirds of members of the House that the Speaker should resign or face the consequences prescribed by the Assembly.
As of the time of filing this report, it remained unclear whether lawmakers would proceed immediately with impeachment proceedings during the next plenary or whether fresh political interventions would be made to resolve the crisis.
Efforts to obtain comments from Speaker Oladiji on the latest development were unsuccessful, as he had yet to publicly respond to the allegations surrounding the reported OSOPADEC funds or the reported impeachment move.
The latest development comes months after Speaker Oladiji survived an impeachment attempt by some lawmakers.
In November 2025, Oladiji dismissed moves by 12 lawmakers seeking his removal, insisting that the allegations against him were politically motivated and without merit.
The 26-member Assembly, had at the time been sharply divided, with 14 lawmakers backing the Speaker while 12 others stayed away from legislative activities amid the crisis.
The aggrieved lawmakers had accused Oladiji of financial misappropriation and withholding financial records from members.
However, the Speaker rejected the allegations, insisting that the dissenting lawmakers were acting out of personal grievances and attempting to hold the House hostage over demands they had allegedly made to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The latest crisis also comes against the backdrop of increasing scrutiny of OSOPADEC’s financial management.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the Ondo State Auditor-General queried seven OSOPADEC contracts worth about ₦6.7 billion after the commission failed to produce procurement and contract documents requested during the 2025 audit.
The audit raised concerns over transparency in the award of several multi-billion-naira contracts, while independent checks by SaharaReporters showed that some beneficiary companies had only recently been incorporated and another could not be traced on official Corporate Affairs Commission records.
The latest audit findings followed earlier allegations of financial impropriety within OSOPADEC.
In February, it was reported that Governor Aiyedatiwa redeployed the commission’s Secretary, Princess Abike Bayo-Ilawole, to the Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) as a Permanent Secretary following allegations involving the diversion of ₦463 million from OSOPADEC’s capital account.
Bayo-Ilawole denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the funds were released for approved projects executed through direct labour and that all necessary procedures were followed.
She was also questioned by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) alongside two other senior OSOPADEC officials over the allegations.
The developments have intensified public scrutiny of the management of funds allocated to OSOPADEC, the intervention agency established to drive development in Ondo State’s oil-producing communities.
