Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has reportedly increased the state’s monthly security vote from ₦700 million to ₦3 billion, a decision that, if confirmed, would make it one of the largest security vote allocations by any state government in Nigeria.
According to media, the increase was allegedly approved with the support of the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, who is currently facing impeachment threats over an alleged financial scandal involving the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC).
Sources cited by the publication claimed that many lawmakers were unaware of the approval and alleged that the governor and the Speaker worked together to secure legislative backing for the increase.
The sources also alleged that the Assembly has convened only four times in 2026, attributing the situation to what they described as political interference in the legislature by the executive arm of government.
If verified, the increase represents more than a fourfold rise in the state’s monthly security allocation and is expected to fuel concerns over transparency, accountability and legislative oversight in the management of public funds.
The development comes amid an ongoing crisis within the Ondo State House of Assembly following allegations by Ilaje Constituency II lawmaker, Hon. Olawumi Fayemi-Obayelu, against Speaker Oladiji.
Fayemi-Obayelu accused the Speaker of forging a legislative resolution allegedly used to alter the 2025 OSOPADEC budget. She claimed she and another lawmaker representing the oil-producing Ilaje area were excluded from an ad hoc committee established to review the commission’s budget despite her position as Vice Chairman of the House Committee on OSOPADEC.
She described the alleged exclusion as a violation of legislative procedures and called for an independent investigation into what she said were forged budget documents involving billions of naira.
The lawmaker maintained that no parliamentary sitting took place on the date indicated in the disputed resolution and urged investigators to examine attendance records, legislative proceedings and other official documents to determine the authenticity of the approval.
Fayemi-Obayelu also alleged that attempts were made to obstruct the House Committee’s oversight investigation into OSOPADEC and called for a probe into claims that some committee members were offered financial inducements.
According to her, the controversy eventually led a majority of lawmakers to endorse a vote of no confidence in Speaker Oladiji before presenting their grievances and supporting documents to Governor Aiyedatiwa.
The crisis has intensified in recent days, with SaharaReporters previously reporting that 21 of the 26 members of the Assembly had given the Speaker an ultimatum to resign or face impeachment over the alleged misappropriation of ₦44 million released to the Assembly by OSOPADEC.
Although Governor Aiyedatiwa reportedly intervened in an effort to resolve the dispute, sources claimed that the majority of lawmakers remained committed to removing the Speaker if he refused to step down voluntarily.
Earlier this week, Fayemi-Obayelu also alleged that she narrowly escaped an assassination attempt and had received repeated death threats over her investigation into alleged bribery, forgery and corruption involving the Speaker and OSOPADEC.
She accused the Speaker of attempting to silence her and further alleged that funds intended for oil-producing communities in Ilaje had been diverted. She reaffirmed her support for calls by a two-thirds majority of lawmakers for the Speaker to resign or face impeachment.
The allegations against the governor, the Speaker and other officials have not been independently verified, and there has been no official response from the Ondo State Government or the Speaker addressing the latest claims regarding the reported increase in the state’s monthly security vote.
