Rauf Olaniyan Impeached As Oyo State Deputy Governor

The members of the Oyo State House of Assembly have impeached Engineer Rauf Aderemi Olaniyan as the State Deputy Governor.

Naija News understands the lawmakers impeached Olaniyan on Monday around 11.30 am during the house plenary, noting that the impeachment takes immediate effect.

This follows the reading and adoption of the recommendations of a report of the seven-man panel set up by the State Chief Judge, Munta Abimbola to investigate allegations levelled against the deputy governor.

The report was read on the floor by the Majority Leader of the House, Sanjo Adedoyin and Olaniyan was found guilty of all the charges against him.

It will be recalled that back in June 2022, the Oyo State House of Assembly initiated steps to impeach the State Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan.

This followed the petition against him brought to the attention of the House by some members of the assembly during plenary.

Some of the offences listed against Olaniyan by the lawmakers include gross misconduct, abuse of office, financial recklessness, abandonment of office, official duty and insubordination.

Twenty-four out of the thirty-two members in the State Assembly signed the petition for impeachment against the Deputy Governor.

According to them, if the Deputy Governor fails to respond to the allegations against him, then impeachment proceedings will be initiated.

Following the development, Olaniyan took the matter to court, asking it to stop the lawmakers from impeaching him.

However, the case filed over the procedure to remove him from office by the State House of Assembly was dismissed.

Naija News understands that the case was struck out by Justice Ladiran Akintola of Oyo State High Court on Thursday, July 14.

The judge ruled that the Oyo Assembly lawmakers and all the defendants have not erred on the procedures taken.

According to the Court, the originating summons filed by Olaniyan was purely legislative procedure and not judicial in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Mr. Olaniyan who has now been impeached, recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in what is believed to be a part of the cold war between him and Governor Seyi Makinde who has since picked another person as his running mate to seek re-election in 2023.