AKURE — SOME members of the Ondo State House of Assembly and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, tackled Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa over the N531 billion supplementary budget presented to the Assembly.
Already, 15 lawmakers have revolted against the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Olamide Oladiji, by boycotting the preliminary session over what they described as his desperate move to fast-track the supplementary budget presented to the Assembly.
Recall that Governor Aiyedatiwa, on November 4, 2025, forwarded the supplementary appropriation bill to the Assembly, seeking approval for N254.4 billion in recurrent expenditure and N277.3 billion for capital projects for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.
The development, however, generated a crisis among members as many of them questioned the rationale behind such a massive request barely two months to the end of the fiscal year.
The lawmakers, who kicked against the supplementary budget, said the supplementary budget request “is nothing short of financial recklessness.”
They argued that the 2025 Budget of Recovery has not achieved less than 35 percent performance.
Many of the members queried the logic of requesting another N531 billion when the current budget has largely underperformed.
The supplementary budget was read on the floor of the Assembly by the Clerk, Mr Benjamin Jayeola and was subsequently referred to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, chaired by Mr Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi.
After the reading, the sitting reportedly ended in chaos as many of the lawmakers staged a walkout following the heated arguments over the proposal.
Speaking with newsmen, one of the aggrieved lawmakers said: “We did not even finish the sitting. Many lawmakers had to walk out. It became a rowdy session because several of us questioned what the executive had done with the funds already approved.
“The Speaker, Mr Oladiji, who has turned himself into a rubber stamp in the hands of the executive, is aligning with the governor because of his political ambition to contest for the House of Representatives. But we are saying enough is enough.
“They are now threatening us. You know we don’t have autonomy yet; they have control of our salary through the executive. They have been threatening that we won’t get a second return if we don’t pass the supplementary budget.
“They have even embarked on blackmailing some of us using our constituents. This government has not been transparent in its financial dealings.
“The budget performance is abysmal, yet they want another N531 billion. It’s simply unacceptable. You can imagine nothing is happening in the state, and you’re requesting another fund.”
Also faulting the proposed supplementary budget, the Director of Media and Public Communications of the PDP, Mr Wande Ajayi, described the move “as a cynical attempt to divert public resources into political war chests ahead of next year’s election.”
Ajayi said: “The absence of transparency, procurement details and completion data exposes the administration’s growing contempt for accountability and good governance. This is not budgeting for progress; it is budgeting for plunder.
“The PDP calls on Governor Aiyedatiwa to immediately withdraw this illegal proposal, publish detailed expenditure records for 2025, and submit his government’s accounts to an independent forensic audit with civil society participation.”
No division, budget’ll be passed — Info Commissioner
When contacted, the Information Commissioner, Mr Idowu Ajanaku, said that the supplementary appropriation bill was forwarded to the Assembly.
Ajanaku denied the division within the lawmakers over the supplementary appropriation bill forwarded to the Assembly by the governor.
He expressed optimism that the supplementary budget will be passed by the lawmakers.
VANGUARD.
