The Ondo State Oil-Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) has denied any involvement in the leadership crisis rocking the Ondo State House of Assembly as the deadline given to Speaker Olamide Oladiji to resign expired without any indication that he had stepped down.
The crisis followed the decision of 21 out of 26 lawmakers to sign an impeachment notice against the Speaker over allegations of financial misconduct, including claims that ₦44 million meant for the reordering of the OSOPADEC budget was diverted.
The lawmakers had asked Oladiji to resign by Sunday or face impeachment when the House reconvenes.
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In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Corporate Affairs, Godson Ewata, OSOPADEC dismissed reports linking the commission to the controversy, insisting it played no role in the internal affairs of the House of Assembly.
The commission said all its interactions with the legislature were conducted in line with constitutional provisions, statutory obligations and established administrative procedures, stressing that decisions of the Assembly remain solely the responsibility of lawmakers.
OSOPADEC also warned against the use of its name to advance political interests or lend credibility to any agenda, saying it would no longer tolerate falsehood, blackmail, character assassination or malicious propaganda.
The commission threatened legal action against any media organisation found publishing false reports about its activities and urged parties involved in the dispute to seek redress through constitutional and legal channels.
It reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability, the rule of law and the development of oil-producing communities across Ondo State.
As the resignation deadline expired on Sunday, there was no official confirmation that the Speaker had stepped down.
Sources said Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had held meetings with some lawmakers in a bid to resolve the crisis, but the legislators were reportedly unwilling to withdraw the impeachment move.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Olatunji Fabiyi, could not immediately provide an update, saying he was attending a meeting at the time he was contacted.
With the deadline now passed, attention is expected to shift to the Assembly’s next sitting, where lawmakers may decide whether to proceed with impeachment proceedings against the Speaker.
