By Adekola Afolabi
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More facts emerged yesterday on the rumbles in the Ondo State House of Assembly as two of the 18 new lawmakers who reportedly signed the impeachment notice backed out from the saga.

The two lawmakers, Mr. Sunday Olajide and Oluyede Feyide told journalists in Akure yesterday at a press conference that their signatures were forged by the other group.

Leaders of the Ondo State House of Assembly have therefore declared the purported impeachment carried out by some members of the house last Friday as null and void.

The house leaders led by the Speaker, Mr Bamidele Oleyelogun and Deputy Speaker, Mr Iroju Ogundeji said the group led by Mr Olamide George perpetrated illegality in their purported impeachment.

Addressing journalists on Sunday, the Speaker revealed that 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.

According to the speaker, signatures of Mr Sunday Olajide and Mr Olusola Oluyede were forged by the other group.

The duo of Mr Oluyede and Mr Olajide were present at the press conference, held at the speaker’s official residence in Alagbaka, Akure.

He   explained,” 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 Mr Sunday Olajide and Mr Olusola Oluyede were not part of the attempted impeachment .

The Speaker, further disclosed that the essential authorities of the House such as the “Original MACE or Gavel, standing order, book of oath and proceed were not followed  in the purported impeachment.

At the briefing, the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Bamidele Oleyelogun, explained that the two signatures that were forged by the 15 legislators further attested to the fact that the purported impeachment falls short of constitutional provision which provided for two-third majority of the members before a change of leadership can be effected.

According to Oleyelogun, essential authorities of the Ondo State House of Assembly were disregarded in the attempted impeachment of the leaders of the parliament.

These he listed to include, original MACE, Order Paper, Gavel, standing order, book of Oath and proceedings.

“They claimed to have formed two-third as a condition to impeach the Speaker and Deputy Speaker whereas they were less in number as Hon. Sunday Olajide and Hon Oluyede Feyide were not part of the attempted impeachment.

He said that serious business were not officially done on Fridays when the purported impeachment was carried out.

The lawmakers said they observed that the impeachment notice only seek to impeach the  Deputy Speaker as notice published in the national dailies on Sunday, November 11th, 2018 only bears the name of the Deputy Speaker.

“It’s 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. Hence, the same letter written during a previous attempted impeachment against the Deputy Speaker was doctored without the consent of the members.”

The lawmakers also accused the purported speaker of the house, Mr Olamide George of misleading the house to cover up an ongoing investigation into his true financial rights from the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) where he is currently serving as Vice President.

The House described Mr George as a fraudulent personality who is currently holding two offices and being paid for both.

“Their purported speaker on the attempted impeachment, Mr George Olamide, a fraudulent personality who is currently the Vice President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) doubles as the member of Ondo State House of Assembly  and is being paid of both.

: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 Mr Olamide George parading himself as the speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, which is impersonation.

“It’s interesting to mention that the  fraudulent  group has two majority leaders in person of Mr Araoyinbo Olugbenga Joseph and Mr Fajolu Abimbola Olutope. With this, they do not have any Deputy Speaker as against their claims .

“All the above are enough evidence to proof to the citizens of Ondo state that these people are not peace loving. They don’t care to put the state in problems just for their personal interests.”

The house leadership, called on security operatives in the state to spring into action and investigate and prosecute the members of the House who have been suspended.