Court stops Oyo Assembly from impeaching deputy gov

The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, the state capital, on Wednesday, ordered the state House of Assembly to suspend the impeachment move against the deputy governor, Rauf Olaniyan.

The presiding judge, Justice Ladiran Akintola, ruled that the lawmakers should maintain the status quo pending the hearing of the application for interlocutory injunction filed by Olaniyan’s counsel, Afolabi Fashanu, SAN.

Justice Akintola, thereafter, adjourned the case until Tuesday, for the hearing of the respondent’s reply.

Olaniyan instituted the suit against the Oyo State House of Assembly, the Clerk and the Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, over the impeachment action against him by the lawmakers.

Fashanu had earlier filed an application for interim injunction restraining the Assembly from taking any step in pursuant of the impeachment of the applicant.

He prayed the court to rule that status quo should be maintained, pending the hearing, so the application would not be defeated

Counsel to the respondents, Mr A. A. Olabiyi, orally applied to the court for extension of time to respond to the motion.

READ ALSO: Impeachment: Oyo deputy gov sues state Assembly

Olabiyi said he was served the motion on notice at the close of work on Tuesday.

The Star recalls that the deputy governor recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The House of Assembly, few days after the defection, sent impeachment notice to the deputy governor and gave him a week to respond to the allegations contained in the Impeachment notice.

The lawmakers levelled five allegations against Olaniyan.

He was accused of gross misconduct, abuse of office, financial recklessness, abandonment of office and official duties and insubordination.

The Star