AKURE, NIGERIA — Tension gripped the Ondo State House of Assembly complex in Akure on Thursday as suspected thugs invaded the premises in an apparent attempt to disrupt ongoing impeachment proceedings against Speaker Olamide Oladiji, escalating a political crisis that has divided the legislative chamber for weeks .
The suspected hoodlums reportedly stormed the Assembly complex during the morning hours, moving from one office to another in what witnesses described as a terrifying display of force designed to intimidate lawmakers and administrative staff. According to staff members who spoke on condition of anonymity, the invaders were allegedly mobilised from Ondo township, the Speaker’s constituency .
Their presence on the premises triggered panic among workers, many of whom reportedly barricaded themselves inside their offices to avoid confrontation. Legislative activities were disrupted as the intruders combed the hallways for several minutes, with no clear mission immediately apparent to those present .
The situation was eventually brought under control through the coordinated intervention of Hon. Olajide Oguntodu, other lawmakers, and security operatives deployed to the scene. The combined efforts led to the suspected thugs being displaced from the premises, restoring some measure of normalcy to the legislative complex .
The invasion comes amid a deepening leadership crisis that has seen more than 22 of the Assembly’s 26 members sign an impeachment notice calling for Oladiji’s immediate resignation . The impeachment move stems from allegations of financial impropriety, particularly the alleged diversion of N44 million from the budget of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission .
A significant majority of the legislators backing the impeachment effort constitutes a potentially decisive challenge to the Speaker’s position. However, Oladiji has consistently denied the allegations, describing the impeachment move as politically motivated and insisting that there is no leadership crisis in the 10th Assembly .
The Speaker has offered a different account of Thursday’s events, telling journalists that he invited only three youth leaders from his constituency to collect recruitment forms from his office. He denied that they were thugs, explaining that they were not aware of the ongoing impeachment proceedings when they arrived .
“Some of the members approached them and asked them the reason why they are at the House of Assembly but they are not new and have been coming to the House of Assembly. But they insisted that they don’t want to see them in the premises,” Oladiji explained. “I came out from my office, and I tried to pacify the members that they are my people that have been coming to the House of Assembly and they have not harassed any member” .
However, the Assembly’s spokesman, Olatunji Fabiyi, countered the Speaker’s claim, insisting that the impeachment process remains ongoing despite Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s reported intervention . “We have been hearing news that we have disembarked on the process, this is a lie, that is misinformation. We are still on it. He can’t be our speaker again. Although Governor has been speaking with some of us, but that does not stop the impeachment, there is no going back,” Fabiyi declared .
The All Progressives Congress has since intervened in the dispute, with party leaders reportedly appealing to all parties to embrace peace and maintain the status quo while consultations continue . A detachment of armed operatives from the SWAT has been deployed to the Assembly to provide protection for lawmakers as the crisis continues .
The invasion of the Assembly complex represents a volatile escalation of the tensions that have gripped the legislature for several weeks. As lawmakers remain locked in deliberations, the coming days will determine whether the impeachment proceedings against Oladiji will proceed and whether the political crisis can be resolved through dialogue or will deepen further. For now, security has been beefed up around the legislative premises as Ondo State watches anxiously .
