JUST IN: Oyo Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan Impeached
The Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin announced Olaniyan’s impeachment during today’s plenary sitting on the floor of the House after deliberation on the report of the 7-man panel of investigation.
The Oyo State deputy governor, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan, has been impeached by the Oyo State House of Assembly.
Olaniyan was impeached on Monday, July 18, following the recommendation of Justice Munta Abimbola-led investigation panel as contained in the report submitted to the house which affirmed the allegations levelled against the deputy governor.
23 out of the 32 lawmakers of the Oyo state House of Assembly in accordance with section 188 (4) of the Nigerian constitution signed the petition against the deputy governor at the inception of the impeachment process.
The Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin announced Olaniyan’s impeachment during today’s plenary sitting on the floor of the House after deliberation on the report of the 7-man panel of investigation.
According to the report of the panel as read on the floor of the House of the Majority leader, Honourable Sanjo Adedoyin, the deputy governor at different intervals during the course of the investigation failed to honour invitation sent to him to appear before it thereby compelling the panel to make unnecessary adjournment.
Recall that Justice Ladiran Akintola of an Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan last week dismissed the suit filed by the deputy governor of the state to stop the state House of Assembly from continuing with the impeachment process.
Delivering the judgment last week, July 14, the court held that the House of Assembly has not breached the provisions of the constitution on the removal of a governor or deputy governor.
According to the court, the lawmakers substantially complied with the provisions of Section 188 of the Constitution on the removal process.
The court said the lawmakers should continue with the removal process.
Newsflash Nigeria had earlier reported that the Oyo deputy governor, Olaniyan was alleged of financial impropriety, gross misconduct, abandonment of office, insubordination, and abuse of office, among others.
The House, therefore, in accordance with constitutional provisions for citizens’ right to a fair hearing forwarded a copy of the petition to the deputy governor for his response to the allegations levelled against him by 23 lawmakers.
The house mandated the deputy governor to make his response available within seven days.
The deputy governor, Rauf Olaniyan, however, defiled the directive of the House to respond to the allegations but instead approached the court to seek for restraining order to stop the process initiated against him.