Oyo State House of Assembly on Monday at its plenary, impeached deputy governor Rauf Olaniyan.
Olaniyan was found guilty of all the allegations levelled against him following the reports of a seven-man panel constituted by the state Chief Judge, Justice Munta Abimbola.
The chief judge had on Thursday, constituted a panel to investigate the allegations levelled against the deputy governor by the lawmakers.
The panel was said to have began its sitting immediately and worked all through the weekend.
The House Majority Leader, Mr Sanjo Adedoyin, read the panel’s reports at the plenary.
The lawmakers, after considering the panel’s recommendations, pronounced the impeachment of the deputy governor and that it should take immediate effect.
The House had in June directed Abimbola to constitute a panel to investigate Olaniyan.
It served the deputy governor with a notice of impeachment over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, financial recklessness, among others, following his defection from PDP to APC.
Fashanu, had also jointly taken the state House of Assembly; the Speaker, Mr Adebo Ogundoyin and Clerk of the House to court over the impeachment move by the lawmakers.
“We appeal for an order of injunction restraining the respondents from enforcing or implementing the judgment on Thursday.
“This is pending the determination of the appeal lodged against the said judgment.
“It’s expedient that an order of injunction be granted so that the outcome of the appeal will not be rendered nugatory.”
Fashanu however stressed the need for Nigerians to respect the court processes, being the fundamental principles of the rule of law.
“It is no longer news that His Lordship went ahead to constitute the panel in spite of the clear notice of pending appeal and application for Stay of Execution.
“With Respect to His Lordship, the Honourable Chief Judge, as number one citizen in the Judiciary, should have respected the judicial process,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Assembly has approved the appointment of Adebayo Lawal as the new deputy governor.
The approval followed Lawal’s nomination to the Assembly by the state governor, Seyi Makinde as replacement for Olaniyan.
Lawal, who prior to his nomination, was the Chairman of the State Housing Corporation and had served as the state Attorney-General.
He hails from Kisi in Irepo Local Government area.
The lawmakers, who went on brief recess after the impeachment of Olaniyan, reconvened at about 12.15pm to consider the appointment of the new deputy governor.
The Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, while reading the letter from the Executive, said it was in response to an earlier letter sent by the lawmaker to the Governor dated July 18, informing him of the impeachment of Olaniyan.
Defending the nomination of Lawal, the House Majority Leader, Sanjo Adedoyin said that the nomination should be favourably considered, approved and adopted in view of his antecedents in contributing to the progress of the state.
Seconding the motion, Kazeem Olayanju who represents Irepo/Olornsogo Constituency, said that the House should confirm Lawal as the new Deputy Governor of Oyo State.
In his remarks, the speaker put the nomination to a voice vote, which went the ways of the “ayes”.
According to him, with the vote, Lawal has been approved as the Deputy Governor of the state.
The House, however, adjourned plenary until July 21.
