—- 15 Members walk out on Speaker
—- 2025 budget has recorded less than 35 percent implementation — PDP
—- No division, budget will be passed – information Commissioner
By Dayo Johnson Akure
A seemingly crisis is brewing between the members of the Ondo state House of Assembly and the state governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa over the ₦531 billion supplementary budget presented to the house.
This is coming as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the state, condemned the governors “reckless attempt to force through the supplementary budget barely two months to the end of the fiscal year.
The party said that the allocation aside defiling financial logic added that the request, barely two months from the end of the fiscal year, is indefensible, particularly when the 2025 Appropriation Law of ₦698.6 billion has recorded less than 35 percent implementation on major projects.
Already 15 members of the Assembly have openly revolted against the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt .Hon. Olamide Oladiji, by boycotting preliminary over what they describe as his desperate move to fast-track the supplementary budget presented to the governor.
Recall that governor Aiyedatiwa had, on November 4, 2025, forwarded the supplementary appropriation bill to the Assembly, seeking approval for ₦254.4 billion in recurrent expenditure and ₦277.3 billion for capital projects for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.
This development, however, generated crisis among members as many of questioned the rationale behind such a massive request barely two months to the end of the fiscal year.
The lawmakers who kicked against the supplementary budget said the supplementary budget request “is nothing short of “financial recklessness,.
They argued that the 2025 Budget of Recovery has not achieved less than 35 percent performance.
Many of the members queried the logic of requesting another ₦531 billion when the current budget has largely underperformed? Most projects in the 2025 budget have recorded less than 35 percent performance.
The supplementary budget was read on the floor of the Assembly by the Clerk, Barrister Benjamin Jayeola, and was subsequently referred to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, chaired by Hon. Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi.
After the reading, the sitting reportedly ended in chaos as many of the lawmakers staged a walkout following the heated arguments over the proposal.
Speaking with newsmen, a member of the Assembly said that “We did not even finish the sitting. Many lawmakers had to walk out. It became a rowdy session because several of us questioned what the executive has done with the funds already approved.
The lawmakers accused the Speaker of aligning with the governor to push the bill through, alleging that Oladiji’s stance was politically motivated.
According to him “The Speaker, Rt. Hon. 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,” said one of the aggrieved member.
“They are now threatening us. You know we don’t have autonomy yet, they have control of our salary through the executive. They have been threatening that we won’t get a second return if we don’t pass the supplementary budget.
He added that “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,”
He said that only 11 members loyal to the Speaker have moved to commit the budget to the Committee on Finance and Appropriation. They planned to reconvene for a kangaroo sitting to pass the budget,”
Meanwhile, the PDP, Director of Media and Public Communications, Wándé T. Àjàyí, viewed the move by the governor
” as a cynical attempt to divert public resources into political war chests ahead of next year’s election.
“The absence of transparency, procurement details, and completion data exposes the administration’s growing contempt for accountability and good governance. This is not budgeting for progress; it is budgeting for plunder.
“Even more alarming are credible reports that Governor Aiyedatiwa is hellbent on signing the rejected supplementary budget into law without the constitutional quorum or legislative backing of the House of Assembly.
“Such brazen defiance of the rule of law amounts to an executive coup against democracy in Ondo State. No leader who respects the constitution would override the legislature, intimidate lawmakers, or attempt to enact a rejected bill. These actions reveal a dangerous descent into impunity and dictatorship.
” The PDP commends members of the House of Assembly who have resisted inducement and intimidation to protect the integrity of their institution. Their courage to reject illegality is a service to the people of Ondo State.
“We urge them to remain steadfast, summon the Commissioner for Finance and the Accountant General, and demand a public audit of all funds released under the 2025 Appropriation Law. The people deserve to know why major projects remain uncompleted despite massive allocations.
“The PDP calls on Governor Aiyedatiwa to immediately withdraw this illegal proposal, publish detailed expenditure records for 2025, and submit his government’s accounts to an independent forensic audit with civil society participation.
“If there are genuine financial gaps, they must be handled transparently and lawfully. Anything short of this will be met with lawful resistance. Ondo State belongs to its people, not to a desperate cabal bent on institutionalizing impunity and looting the treasury under the pretext of governance.
Contacted, the State Information Commissioner, Idowu Ajanaku, said that the supplementary appropriation bill was forwarded to the Assembly .
Ajanaku, denied the division within the lawmakers over the supplementary appropriation bill forwarded to the Assembly by the governor.
He expressed optimism that the supplementary budget will be passed by the lawmakers by the entire 26 members of the Assembly.
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