An Oyo State High Court has dismissed a case filed by Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan over moves by the State Assembly to impeach him.
Justice Ladiran Akintola ruled on Thursday that the lawmakers have not erred in the procedures taken.
According to the court, the originating summons filed by the claimant was purely legislative procedure and not judicial in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The judge said that he validated the process initiated by the House of Assembly, having carefully considered the originating summons, counter affidavits by the defendants, and the written addresses filed by counsel to the parties.
“There is no where that the Speaker is involved as an initiative, but an administrative; the issue raised by the claimant against the defendants are resolved against the claimant.
“No proceedings of the House can be entertained in any court, therefore the claimant’s case is, accordingly, dismissed,” he said.
Olaniyan had through his counsel, Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), jointly sued the state House of Assembly; the Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, and the clerk over the impeachment process initiated against him by the lawmakers.
However, reacting to the judgment on Thursday, Fashanu said he was dissatisfied with it and had filed an appeal.
The respondents’ counsel, Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN), said the impeachment process required eight steps and the house had just taken the first step out of the eight processes involved in the removal process.
The lawmakers initiated an impeachment move against the deputy governor, accusing him of financial recklessness, gross misconduct and insubordination, abandonment of office among other allegations.
This followed Olaniyan’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
More to follow…
