Group petitions EFCC, seeks Speaker, deputy’s probe over alleged N70bn OSOPADEC budget fraud

Group petitions EFCC, seeks Speaker, deputy’s probe over alleged N70bn OSOPADEC budget fraud

A civic organisation has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate top officials of the Ondo State House of Assembly over alleged forgery and fraudulent alteration of the N70 billion 2025 budget of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC).

The development adds a new twist to the leadership crisis that has rocked the House of Assembly for months.

The petition, submitted to the EFCC by the Ondo State Concerned Youth for Good Governance, asked the anti-graft agency to investigate Speaker Olamide Oladiji, Deputy Speaker Ololade Gbegudu and the Clerk of the House, Benjamin Jayeola.

This comes barely days after 21 lawmakers moved to remove Mr Oladiji over separate allegations involving the handling of OSOPADEC funds, further intensifying the political crisis that has paralysed legislative activities in the state.

Sahara Reporters reported that the petition, addressed to the EFCC’s Ekiti Zonal Directorate, alleged that the Assembly leadership conspired to produce a House resolution used to amend portions of the OSOPADEC budget without approval from lawmakers.

According to the petition, the disputed resolution, dated 11 December 2025, was presented as an official decision of the House despite the absence of a properly convened plenary where members could debate and approve the proposed changes.

The petitioners alleged that signatures appearing on the document were forged and urged the anti-graft agency to investigate whether the alleged manipulation resulted in the diversion or unlawful appropriation of public funds.

“Gleaning from the above grounds, it is crystal clear that the trio of the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, the Deputy Speaker and the Clerk jointly and severally conspired to forge the signatures of the Honourable members and fraudulently manipulated the institution of the Ondo State House of Assembly to pass a fraudulent resolution wherein a huge amount of money to the tune of N70,000,000,000 was appropriated without the approval of the House,” the petition stated..

The group argued that any alteration to the commission’s budget should have followed legislative procedures requiring debate and approval during plenary, insisting that no such sitting took place.

The petition adds another layer to allegations first raised by Ondo lawmaker Olawumi Fayemi-Obayelu, who accused the Speaker of forging a House resolution used to alter the multi-billion-naira OSOPADEC budget.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Ms Fayemi-Obayelu maintained that the Assembly never sat on the date indicated in the disputed resolution and said attendance records and legislative proceedings would show that lawmakers neither debated nor approved the budget adjustments attributed to the House.

She also alleged that lawmakers representing oil-producing communities were excluded from legislative oversight of the commission despite occupying relevant committee positions.

The latest petition comes as Mr Oladiji faces mounting pressure from within the Assembly. Last week, 21 of the 26 lawmakers demanded the speaker’s resignation over separate allegations involving the handling of N44 million released for the reordering of the 2026 OSOPADEC budget.

The House later suspended Monday’s plenary indefinitely pending a leadership change.

The lawmakers insisted the Speaker had lost the confidence of the majority of members and vowed to proceed with impeachment if he refused to step aside despite reported intervention by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

But Speaker Oladiji has consistently denied wrongdoing.

He described claims that he manipulated the OSOPADEC budget and mismanaged Assembly funds as false, malicious and politically motivated.

He added “honourable members autonomously manage, determine and agree upon their internal welfare and resource allocations without interference from the Speaker’s office.”

The speaker insisted there was no leadership crisis in the Assembly and maintained that its financial processes complied with legislative procedures.

However, the OSOPADEC has distanced itself from the controversy, stating it had no role in the internal affairs of the House of Assembly.

The commission maintained that its engagements with the legislature followed due administrative procedures and cautioned against linking it to the allegations surrounding the disputed budget resolution.