Ogun Assembly Pardons Impeached Ex-Deputy Speaker, Passes Pregnancy Termination Bill
The Ogun State House of Assembly has converted former Deputy Speaker Dare Kadiri’s 2021 impeachment to resignation and passed a Safe Termination of Pregnancy Bill.
The Ogun State House of Assembly has taken two significant decisions, resolving to convert the 2021 impeachment of former Deputy Speaker, Dare Kadiri, to a voluntary resignation while also passing a bill establishing a legal framework for the safe termination of pregnancy under specified circumstances.
The decisions were taken during plenary on Thursday at the Assembly Complex in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, with Speaker Oludaisi Elemide presiding. The developments place issues of legislative reconciliation and reproductive healthcare at the centre of the Ogun Assembly’s latest proceedings. (Punch Newspapers)
Assembly Converts Kadiri’s Impeachment to Resignation
The Assembly resolved to grant Kadiri’s appeal to have his previous removal from office converted to a voluntary resignation.
Kadiri, who represented Ijebu North II Constituency and served as Deputy Speaker during the Ninth Legislature, was impeached and removed from office on March 4, 2021, over allegations of gross misconduct.
The decision followed an appeal submitted by Kadiri seeking to have the record of his removal changed. According to the report presented by the House Chief Whip, Omobola Bakare, the Committee of the Whole House considered the appeal during a meeting in August 2026.
The committee stressed that the decision was not intended to reopen the circumstances surrounding the 2021 impeachment, determine blame or establish Kadiri’s innocence. Instead, it said the former lawmaker was seeking a peaceful and dignified conclusion to that chapter of his public service.
Bakare moved for adoption of the committee’s report, while Bisi Oyedele seconded the motion. The resolution was subsequently supported by lawmakers through a voice vote.
The development has been widely described as a pardon in reports, although the substance of the Assembly’s resolution was to convert the impeachment and removal to a voluntary resignation.
Safe Termination of Pregnancy Bill Passed
In a separate legislative action, lawmakers passed the H.B. No. 036/OG/2026 – Ogun State Safe Termination of Pregnancy Law, 2026.
The bill is designed to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality, promote safe motherhood and reproductive health rights, and establish conditions under which pregnancy termination can legally and safely be carried out.
The legislation was considered following the presentation of the report of the House Committee on Health, chaired by Wahab Haruna. After the committee’s report was adopted, lawmakers considered the bill clause-by-clause under the Committee of the Whole House.
The motion for third reading was moved by Babatunde Tella and seconded by Lukman Adeleye. It subsequently received unanimous support through a voice vote before the Clerk and Head of Legislative Service, Sakiru Adabakin, read the bill for the third time.
The Speaker then directed that a clean copy of the bill be transmitted to Governor Dapo Abiodun for his assent.
This means that, despite its passage by the Assembly, the measure still requires the next constitutional step before it becomes state law.
What the Proposed Law Seeks to Address
The bill has been presented primarily as a maternal-health intervention rather than as unrestricted access to abortion.
During its second-reading stage in August, the Assembly said the legislation was intended to establish clear legal and medical circumstances under which pregnancy termination could be performed by qualified medical practitioners in approved healthcare facilities.
The Assembly’s official account of the legislative process said the bill was intended to address situations including pregnancies in which the life of a pregnant woman is at risk. Lawmakers also discussed the possible protection of victims of rape from additional trauma and the reduction of preventable maternal deaths. (Ogun State House of Assembly)
The House also said the proposed legislation would be subjected to scrutiny to ensure that its provisions did not conflict with the Nigerian Constitution or other existing federal laws.
That point is significant because abortion and pregnancy termination remain legally restricted in Nigeria under the country’s existing criminal-law framework, with different provisions under the Criminal Code and Penal Code. Existing law provides limited circumstances in which termination may be lawful, particularly where it is necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant woman. (Ahrlj)
The proposed Ogun legislation therefore seeks to provide a state-level framework around legally recognised circumstances while remaining subject to Nigeria’s wider constitutional and legal structure.
Stakeholder Consultation Preceded Passage
The bill did not move directly from introduction to passage. The Assembly previously held consultations involving maternal-health and reproductive-health advocacy organisations.
During an August stakeholder engagement, groups including the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Gender Development Initiative, Centre for Community Development Health and Family Enhancement Initiatives, Centre for Reproductive Rights, IPAS Nigeria Health Foundation and Amplify Change participated in discussions surrounding the proposed legislation. (Tribune Online)
The Assembly said recommendations arising from the consultations would be considered during its clause-by-clause review.
The legislative process therefore included public debate, committee consideration and stakeholder engagement before the final vote.
Other Bills Receive First Reading
Thursday’s plenary also saw four other bills scale first reading.
They included the Gender Balance in Political and Public Offices Bill, 2026; the Group Liability for Offences of Violence, Extortion and Secret Societies (GLOVES) Bill, 2026; the Victims’ Rights Bill, 2026; and the Ogun State Human Sacrifice Prevention and Prohibition Bill, 2026.
The combination of these measures with the safe-termination bill indicates a broad legislative agenda covering healthcare, gender representation, victims’ protection and public safety.
Next Step for Pregnancy Termination Bill
The immediate next step for the Safe Termination of Pregnancy Bill is Governor Abiodun’s consideration of the legislation.
Until the governor assents to the bill and the necessary legal processes are completed, it should properly be described as a bill passed by the Ogun State House of Assembly, rather than an already operational law.
The development nevertheless represents a significant legislative moment for Ogun State, particularly because lawmakers have linked the proposal to maternal health, safe motherhood and reproductive healthcare.
For Kadiri, meanwhile, the Assembly’s resolution changes the official character of his departure from the position of Deputy Speaker from impeachment and removal to voluntary resignation, closing a five-year-old chapter in the history of the Ogun legislature.