Two of the 18 members of the Ondo State House of Assembly, who signed the impeachment notice served on the embattled Speaker, Bamidele Oleyelogun and his Deputy Ogundeji Iroju, yesterday, alleged that their signatures were forged.
Addressing newsmen in Akure, the lawmakers, Messrs Sunday Olajide, representing Akure South Constituency 2 and Olusola Oluyede, representing Ose constituency said they were not in the state when the said impeachment was effected.
This is as the state chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Ade Adetimehin, yesterday, said that the party had begun peace moves to resolve the impasse in the assembly, saying nothing has changed in the leadership of the Chambers.
Adetimehin said happenings in the assembly “are a normal phenomenon within the legislature. They will have cause to disagree amongst themselves but it is the duty of the party to see to the amicable resolution of the dispute.
“The problem is within the control of the party and the party is already looking into it and we will resolve it amicably.”
On their part, Messrs Olajide and Oluyede said: “It is criminal for anyone to forge our signatures without our consent. We are not part of the meeting to impeach the speaker and his d eputy in fact we are shocked to find our names and signatures on the notice.”
Impeachment null and void—Assembly
Meanwhile, the leadership of the assembly has declared that the purported impeachment carried out by the “disgruntled members was null and void.”
The embattled Speaker Oloyelogun said: “The purported impeachment did not satisfy the constitutional requirement of the House as signatures collated were not up to 18 which represents the two-third requirement for the impeachment of both Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House.
“They claimed to have formed two-third as a condition to impeach the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, whereas they were less in number as Messrs Sunday Olajide and Olusola Oluyede were not part of the attempted impeachment.
“The essential authorities of the House such as the “Original mace or gavel, standing order, book of oath and proceedings were not honoured and follow in the purported impeachment.
“It has been observed and confirmed that the letter written to the clerk of the House of Assembly on the 9th of November, 2018 was doctored.
“Among other irregularities on the doctored letter were they intended to impeach the Deputy speaker and not the speaker but failed again. You can check the conclusion of their letter.
“The clerk of the House of Assembly was made to serve them unofficially under duress. Also the attempted impeachment which was already foiled still has Hon. Olamide George parading himself as the speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, which is impersonation.”
S’West PDP flays invasion of Ondo Assembly by drivers’ union
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, PDP, in the South West, yesterday, flayed the occupation of the Ondo Assembly by members of the drivers union in the state.
A statement in Akure, by the Zonal Publicity Secretary of the party, Ayo Fadaka reads: “We are of the view that the House of Assembly is an organ of government that must discharge its functions without the undue interloping actions of the drivers union in the management of the parliament.
“The drivers’ union, as a pressure group must know its limitations and not overstep its bounds under any circumstance.
“We, therefore, call on the Police Commissioner in Ondo State to take his brief serious and give great attention to maintaining law and order seriously.”
Source: vanguardngr
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