SUNTV Global Channel
A civic organisation, Ondo State Concerned Youth for Good Governance, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), calling for an investigation into the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, Deputy Speaker Ololade Gbegudu, and the Clerk of the House, Benjamin Jayeola, over allegations of forgery and the alleged fraudulent alteration of the 2025 Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) budget.
According to the petition, the three officials allegedly conspired to produce a House resolution that amended and redirected budget allocations estimated at ₦70 billion without the approval of the full Assembly.
The petitioners claimed the document, referenced ODHA/98/253/271, was presented as an official legislative resolution even though no valid plenary session was held. They further alleged that lawmakers whose names appeared on the document neither attended the purported sitting nor approved the budget changes, raising claims that their signatures were forged.
The group argued that any amendment to the OSOPADEC budget should have been debated and approved during a properly constituted plenary session, insisting that the required legislative process was bypassed.
The petition urged the EFCC to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the alleged forgery and determine whether public funds were unlawfully diverted, stressing that accountability and due process must be upheld.
The allegations come amid an ongoing leadership crisis in the Ondo State House of Assembly. Lawmakers have also accused Speaker Oladiji of separate financial misconduct involving OSOPADEC funds, with reports indicating that a majority of Assembly members have backed moves to remove him from office.
As of the time of this report, the officials named in the petition have not publicly responded to the allegations, and the claims remain subject to investigation by the EFCC.
