The leadership crisis rocking the Ondo State House of Assembly over the removal of the Speaker, Hon. Bamidele Oloyeloogun and his deputy, Hon. Ogundeji, deepened on Monday as the former speaker presided over the House plenary.
The sitting was attended by the speaker and the eight lawmakers loyal to him.
During the plenary, which was attended by nine lawmakers, the 2018 Appropriation Bill sent by the state governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, for amendment, was read.
Eighteen lawmakers had last Friday announced the removal of Oloyeloogun and Ogundeji subsequent upon which Olamide George and Abimbola Fajolu were elected as speaker and deputy speaker of the Assembly, respectively.
While George claimed that 18 members of the Assembly endorsed the change of leadership, Oloyeloogun said only 16 members attended the session and not 18.
He alleged that signatures of two members were forged.
According to Oloyeloogun, two members whose signatures were allegedly forged are : Mr Sunday Olajide and and Olusola Oluyede, who represent Akure South Constituency II and Ose Constituency, respectively.
Olajide, said he was neither informed nor briefed on the move by his colleagues on the purported removal.
He stated that it was criminal for anyone to forge his signature, emphasising that he was not part of any meeting and did not participate in the removal process.
Similarly, Oluyede claimed he was not part of the attempted impeachment, adding that he was shocked to find his name and signature on the notice.
“I am here to deny the rumour of the purported impeachment. I am not part of it and cannot be part of it,” he said.
In his remarks, Oleyelogun, who announced the suspension of George and other 15 lawmakers, dispelled his impeachment as null and void.
He urged the security agencies to arrest and prosecute them for forgery and perjury.
“They claimed to have formed two-thirds as a condition to impeach the speaker and the deputy speaker, whereas they were less in number as Sunday Olajide and Olusola Oluyede were not part of the attempted impeachment.
“In view of this, the House has taken the decision on it to call on the security agents to probe that purported signatures and names so that those involved in that forgery will quickly brought to book and questioning.”
