Oyo Assembly Leader, Adedoyin Accuses Colleague of Defamation, Seeks House Committee Probe

The Leader of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Onaolapo Sanjo Adedoyin (Ogbomoso South), has issued a strong rebuttal to bribery allegations leveled against him by Hon. Ibrahim Shittu, member representing Saki West Constituency.

Hon. Adedoyin described the claims as “wicked, baseless, and malicious,” insisting they were designed to tarnish his image and undermine the integrity of the Assembly.

The controversy erupted after Hon. Shittu, during a public programme in Saki Town, alleged that Adedoyin had accepted bribes from the Chairman of Saki West Local Government to influence investigations into alleged misconduct.

Addressing the House in a personal explanation on Tuesday at its first 2026 plenary session, Adedoyin categorically denied the allegations, stressing that he had only acted on the directive of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Debo Ogundoyin, to review petitions against the Chairman.

He maintained that no evidence exists to support Shittu’s claims, which he described as “deliberate falsehoods aimed at misleading the public.”

“These allegations are not only false and malicious but are clearly intended to ridicule the leadership of this Honourable House and damage my personal reputation,” Adedoyin declared.

Beyond the personal accusations, Adedoyin noted that Shittu’s comments also maligned the Speaker and the Special Ad-hoc Committee that conducted oversight in Oyo North.

He pointed out that Shittu had absented himself from the committee’s assignment, a recurring pattern of neglect in his legislative duties.

Hon. Adedoyin accused Shittu of engaging in repeated acts of character assassination, spreading lies to curry favour with constituents rather than contributing meaningfully to governance.

He warned that such reckless statements could incite public unrest and erode confidence in the Assembly.

The House Leader revealed that the allegations had caused him and his family significant distress. “My image has been gravely damaged. I have received disturbing calls from friends and loved ones, while my family suffers psychological and emotional trauma as a result of these false claims,” he lamented.

Hon. Adedoyin appealed to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges to investigate the matter thoroughly and ensure justice is served in line with the Legislative Powers and Privileges Act, 2017, and the Assembly’s standing rules. He emphasized that the intervention was necessary to protect the dignity of the legislature and deter future misconduct.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, while reacting to the personal explanation tendered by the Majority Leader, cautioned lawmakers against making unnecessary, unfounded, and exaggerated comments or utterances that are capable of igniting tension, misleading the public, and undermining the integrity of the Assembly.

He emphasized that members must exercise restraint, uphold decorum, and remain guided by the rules of the House in all their public engagements.

In order to safeguard the dignity of the legislature and ensure that due process is followed, the Speaker consequently referred the matter to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges. He directed the Committee to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations and report its findings back to the Assembly within one week.