Members of the Oyo State House of Assembly on Monday impeached the state deputy governor, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan.
Olaniyan from Igboho in Oke Ogun, was sacked by the lawmakers after defecting for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Before his impeachment he had been found guilty of financial recklessness, abuse of office and other allegations by the seven-man panel constituted by the state Chief Judge, Justice Munta Abimbola.
The chief judge last Thursday constituted the panel to investigate the allegations leveled against him by the state House of Assembly.
Olaniyan was impeached on Monday by the Oyo lawmakers during the plenary after the submission of the report by the panel.
The Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Sanjo Adedoyin, read the panel’s reports at the plenary and his colleagues, after considering the panel’s recommendations, pronounced the impeachment of the deputy governor and declared that it takes immediate effect.
In June, the state House of Assembly directed the Chief Judge to constitute a panel to investigate Olaniyan.
The panel served the deputy governor with a notice of impeachment over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and financial recklessness, among others.
Meanwhile, a former state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Abdulroheem Adebayo Lawal, has replaced Olaniyan as deputy governor.
He was sworned in on Monday by the state Chief Judge, Justice Munta Abimbola.
Lawal, a native of Kishi in Oke Ogun, was the chairman of the Oyo State Housing Corporation, before the appointment.
The lawmakers after impeachment of Olaniyan also approved the Bayo Lawal as his replacement during their plenary.
Present at the swearing in ceremony, the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, charged the new deputy governor to see his position as a responsibility to deliver good governance to the people of the state.
The governor admonished Lawal to put the interest of the state first and serve the state diligently in his new capacity.
He said: “I want to start by welcoming our new Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Barrister Bayo Lawal, to the Oyo State Executive Council. I know you operated from this Exco Chamber from 1999 to 2003 and I am sure a lot of things have changed between then and now.
“As we all know, you are already a part of this administration as the chairman of the Oyo State Housing Corporation.
“Your new position is evidence that you excelled in your role. But for us, as the saying goes, the reward for hard work is more work, and that is why we are giving you more work.”
