Fresh controversy has erupted in the Ondo State House of Assembly after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was asked to investigate allegations that lawmakers’ signatures were forged to facilitate the approval of a controversial amendment to the ₦70 billion Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) budget.
The petition was filed by the Ondo State Concerned Youth for Good Governance, which accused the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Olamide Adesanmi Oladiji, Deputy Speaker Hon. Gbegudu Ololade, and the Clerk of the House, Jayeola B.T., Esq., of allegedly conspiring to forge legislators’ signatures to validate the budget amendment.
According to the petition, dated July 27, 2026, and addressed to the Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC’s Ado-Ekiti Zonal Directorate, the alleged incident occurred on December 11, 2025, during the approval of an amended OSOPADEC budget without the knowledge or participation of most members of the Assembly.
The petitioners claimed that a document identified as House Resolution ODHA/98/253/271, titled “Request for House of Assembly Resolution to Amend and Re-direct Certain Line Items in the 2025 Approved OSOPADEC Budget,” was used to authorise major budget adjustments despite the absence of a properly constituted legislative sitting.
They further alleged that the names of all members of the Ondo State House of Assembly appeared on the resolution, but that their signatures were forged to create the impression that lawmakers attended the session and approved the changes.
The petition, signed by Abel Kosoko, Esq., counsel to the civil society group, maintained that only the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the Clerk were allegedly present during the purported approval, arguing that the constitutional process for amending the budget was bypassed.
According to the group, any adjustment to the 2025 OSOPADEC recurrent expenditure should have gone through the full legislative process, including formal presentation before lawmakers, debate, committee scrutiny, consideration of budget items and a vote before approval.
The petitioners argued that the alleged failure to follow these procedures casts doubt on the legality of the amended budget and the authenticity of the House resolution used to approve it.
As part of the petition, the group submitted copies of the disputed House resolution and the revised expenditure details, urging the EFCC to carry out a comprehensive investigation and prosecute anyone found responsible in accordance with the law.
At the time of filing this report, neither the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Clerk of the House nor the Ondo State House of Assembly had issued an official response to the allegations.
