The Ondo State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker, Hon. Abayomi Akinruntan, and the Majority Leader, Hon. Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, have both resigned from their positions.
Sources indicate these changes reflect the state’s unwritten political zoning arrangement, which aims to ensure equitable power distribution across different regions.
Both Akinruntan and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa hail from the same local government area, Ilaje. Similarly, former Majority Leader Ogunmolasuyi is from Owo, the same local government as Deputy Governor Dr. Olayide Adelami.
In his resignation letter, read by the Clerk of the House, Benjamin Jayeiola, Hon. Akinruntan explicitly stated his reason was “the need to align with the conventional arrangement in power-sharing of elective positions in the state.”
He thanked members and staff for their support. While Akinruntan was absent from the plenary session, Ogunmolasuyi attended, though he did not publicly state his reasons for stepping down.
Following the resignations, Hon. Ololade Gbegude (Okitipupa Constituency 2) was sworn in as the new Deputy Speaker.
Additionally, Hon. Muritala Sulaiman (Akoko South-East) was appointed as the new Chief Whip, and Hon. Fabiyi Olatunji (Odigbo Constituency 1) became the Whip of the House.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, praised the outgoing principal officers for their mature handling of the transition, commending Akinruntan as a “peaceful ally” and Ogunmolasuyi as a “stabilising force” and “dependable ally.”
