Tension is mounting between Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and members of the State House of Assembly following the submission of a N531 billion supplementary budget for legislative approval.
The lawmakers have reportedly rejected the governor’s proposal, questioning the rationale for such a large additional request barely two months before the end of the fiscal year.
According to Assembly sources, the budget request—read on the floor of the House by the Clerk, Barrister Benjamin Jayeola, on November 4, 2025—seeks approval to fund ongoing capital projects and cover recurrent expenditures, including salaries, pensions, and newly initiated infrastructural works across the state.
A copy of the document shows that the governor is requesting a total of N531,767,261,000 (five hundred and thirty-one billion, seven hundred and sixty-seven million, two hundred and sixty-one thousand naira).
Of this sum, N254,448,081,000 is earmarked for recurrent expenditure, while N277,319,130,000 is allocated for capital projects for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.
The move has sparked discontent among members of the Assembly, who accused the executive of poor budget performance and alleged fiscal indiscipline in implementing the 2025 Appropriation Law.
Governor Aiyedatiwa had earlier signed the 2025 Appropriation Bill, tagged the “Budget of Recovery”, totalling N698.659 billion, with N433.622 billion (62.06%) allocated for capital expenditure and N265.037 billion (37.94%) for recurrent expenditure. The initial proposal of N655.230 billion was subsequently increased by over N43 billion before passage into law. At the time, the governor said the budget reflected the collective aspirations of Ondo residents and aimed to rebuild the state’s economy and address socio-economic challenges.
However, several lawmakers, during a parliamentary session on November 4, 2025, reportedly expressed frustration over what they described as the administration’s “reckless spending pattern”, warning that approving another massive budget could further strain the state’s finances.
A lawmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said most projects in the 2025 budget have recorded less than 35 per cent completion, questioning the logic of presenting a fresh N531 billion proposal amid such poor fiscal execution. He disclosed that lawmakers had to “walk out” of the House, led by Speaker Olamide Oladiji, after repeated arguments among members over the governor’s intentions.
“We did not even finish the sitting at the House on November 4. Many lawmakers had to walk out of the sitting. It became a rowdy session because many of us questioned what the executive had done with the funds already approved.
“We had to walk out. The Speaker, Rt Hon. Olamide 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,” he added.
Accusing the government of a lack of transparency, another aggrieved lawmaker opposed the governor’s request for additional funds through the supplementary budget. He explained that many lawmakers have been threatened or blackmailed for refusing to support a few colleagues planning to carry out the governor’s bidding.
“The governor is threatening us. You know we don’t have autonomy yet. He controls our salaries through the executive. He and his aides have threatened us that we won’t receive a second return if we don’t pass the supplementary budget into law. They have even used our constituents to blackmail some of us.
“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 more funds,” the lawmaker stated.
Amid the deepening rift, sources revealed that lawmakers are divided over the governor’s attempt to push the supplementary budget through the Assembly. The proposal has been referred to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, chaired by Hon. Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, a former majority leader.
“Now, 11 members have manoeuvred to commit the budget to the Committee on Finance and Appropriation. They plan to reconvene by 9 am on Wednesday for a kangaroo sitting to pass the budget,” another source said.
“The problem is they cannot muster the two-thirds majority required, and many lawmakers have vowed to boycott the session. The people of Ondo State should be aware of this carnage that is about to happen in the Assembly.”
As of press time, the state government had not responded to enquiries regarding the lawmakers’ resistance or the justification for the supplementary budget proposal. Efforts to obtain the reaction of Assembly Speaker Oladiji were repeatedly unsuccessful.
