Impeachment Panel Constituted by CJ Unconstitutional, Illegal – Oyo Deputy Governor

By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko/

The Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Rauf Olaniyan, says the constitution of a 7-man panel by the Chief Judge of Oyo, Justice Munta Abimbola, to investigate the House of Assembly allegations against him is “unconstitutional, wrongful and illegal”.

Olaniyan made the remarks on Thursday through his Counsel, Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan.

Abimbola had on Friday constituted a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations leveled against the deputy governor by the state House of Assembly.

The House in June directed Abimbola to constitute a panel to investigate Olaniyan.

It had served the deputy governor with a notice of impeachment over alleged 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 the House Clerk to court over the impeachment move by the lawmakers.

He said: “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 despite the clear notice of pending appeal and application for Stay of Execution.

“With Respect to His Lordship, the Honorable Chief Judge, as number one citizen in the Judiciary, should have respected the judicial process,” he said.

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