Following the crises that have brewed in the Oyo State House of Assembly, Oyo speaker, Debo Ogundoyin, has escaped impeachment thanks to the intervention of Gov. Seyi Makinde.
Close sources present at the meeting with the governor said that there were intense disagreements among the members of the state assembly this morning. During the argument, some thought the Oyo speaker should be removed from his position because he had brought the assembly into disrepute.
However, the governor was reported to have soothed the attendees and made an appeal for the Oyo speaker on behalf after they had voiced their opinions.
Recall that ENigeria Newspaper reported that the Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Debo Ogundoyin, refuted claims that he accepted money from All Progressives Congress (APC) proxies in order to help Governor Seyi Makinde be impeached. The Oyo speaker had characterized the accusation as untrue and politically motivate, especially after his visit to Oba Ladoja over his ambition to contest for House of Reps (or even governorship) fueled rumours.
The situation had stemmed from the political unrest amidst what ENigeria Newspaper believed that is a calculated move by the All Progressive Congress, through Minister of FCT, Nyeson Wike, to oust Oyo state out of the grip of Gov. Seyi Makinde as the party has found, in one way or the other, a way to ‘woo’ state governors to them. All PDP governors, except Gov. Seyi Makinde (and maybe Bala Muhammad) remain in PDP.
As a result, state house assembly members perceived that the Oyo speaker must have been used as a tool because of the recent reports by the PDP arm of Oyo state government that there is a possible attempt to impeach the governor to be spearheaded by the speaker. Although there were no verifiable evidence, it appeared like a counter claim to former governor Ayo Fayose that the governor was also planning to unseat the Olubadan monarch.
However, as at today’s meeting, Makinde’s intervention, which ordered all Assembly members to unite behind the Speaker and the current House leadership, seems to have drawn a clear line that has finally ended the problem.
According to reports, the governor emphasized the importance of stability, discipline, and unity within the party and the legislature.
“It (the impeachment saga) has been resolved in the interest of the state, yes, the speaker was advised to step aside, but with the intervention of the governor, we have to take so many things into consideration and shelve the idea”, a source who requested anonymity said.
“We are going into election period and the state is more important than any person, so that idea was put aside in the interest of the state and for unity and peace in the house because we would not want the opposition to take advantage of the situation on ground. The governor has invited him to meet with some Ibadan leaders to plead for him.”
In addition, the governor addressed speculations that former First Lady, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, met with the House of Assembly Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, over plans to remove him.
He addressed this during the the inauguration of key committees set up to drive the state’s long-term tourism development and preparations for the International Tourist Summit 2026.
“This administration will come to an end in one year and one month. So, what will happen next? Well, that is if I am not impeached then,” he cracked.
“Today, we inaugurated two committees, the Organising Committee for the International Tourism Summit Oyo State 2026 (#ITSOyoState2026), which will hold next month, 12-14 May 2026, and the 25-Year Tourism Master Plan Committee, a forward-looking committee to create a master plan that will guide decisions, shape investments, and outlive administrations in Oyo.
“This is serious work and will require active participation and my expectation is that members of both committees will put in their best to make these projects work for the good people of Oyo.”
