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How Ex-Oyo Deputy Governor
Ran into Trouble
Politics | 8 months ago

Kemi Olaitan writes on the various events which

culminated in the impeachment last Monday of
Rauf Olaniyan, as Oyo State Deputy Governor

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The frosty relationship between Governor Seyi

Makinde of Oyo State and the immediate past
Deputy Governor, RaufOlaniyan, which though
denied by the two sides but had been on for over
two years came to an end last Monday with the
impeachment of Olaniyan by the state House of
Assembly based on the recommendation of the
panel set up to investigate the allegations levelled
against him.

With the two political gladiators denying any rift

between themselves, Olaniyan was to set a stage
for his impeachment when on Sunday, June 5,
2022 while addressing journalists at his private
office in Ibadan, formally announced his
defection from the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) under which platform he and Makinde were
elected to the opposition All Progressives
Congress (APC).

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The Igboho-born retired civil servant and

businessman said he took the decision after
consultations with his supporters across the 33
local government areas of the state, vowing not
to resign his position as the deputy governor.

According to him, “I am bold to inform you clearly

that as from this moment, I am porting to the All
Progressive Congress (APC).You have been
asking me what next politically because
everybody is already taking positions, what to
contest for, under what party and like I had
always told you, when the time is ripe, I will make
it public.

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“Even as at this morning, some political parties

still called me to come and take their tickets to
come and contest with, I don’t want to mention
any name because I don’t want to de-market any
party because we meet to part and part to meet.
Not less than three parties have called me today
(Sunday) alone and as at yesterday (Saturday) I
had about eight political parties offering me their
platforms to contest, but is that what I wanted?
Am I looking for governorship by all means? No.
Do I want to contest governorship at just any
party? No.

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“So, if that is not, then my aim remains the same,

that I am into politics not because I want to make
name or any pecuniary gains. I am there because
in the society of today, if you know you want to
make meaning to your people, you have to make
meaning through political process by joining a
party.

“Some people will say, you don’t have to join a

political party, to make impact; yes, but you
should not complain when some people are ruling
and you cannot rule without joining a political
party.

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“I have considered the pros and cons, I have seen

it all. I was elected as a deputy governor, sworn in
May 29, 2019 to run up to May 28, 2023, so the
time is still there but as you can see, everyone
has already showed interest in the position they
aspire to contest for.

“I had told you ab initio that, God will show us the

way to go. For a journey of one thousand
kilometres, it starts with a step. First and
foremost, I, RaufAderemiOlaniyan, I am porting to
the APC.

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“I am not resigning as the deputy Governor, I am

still the deputy Governor of Oyo state, Engineer
SeyiMakinde is still my Governor, but there is no
aspect of the constitution that says the governor
or his deputy cannot part ways politically.

“This aspect, I am interested in the law court. It

came down to be a hard fact, that it is possible
for us to part ways. For the act of governance, I
am still the deputy Governor of Oyo state, under
the leadership of the Governor of Oyo state. It is
only the party maters that changed.

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“And I am not going alone, I am going with my

teeming supporters in all the 33 local
governments. They have been asking me what
next and I kept telling them to wait. As at today,
they just finished a meeting in Iseyin, the
OkeOgun caucus and they wanted to know what
next. And I also asked them to go and decide the
next thing too.

“Before I joined the PDP, they all decided that we

should join PDP and so if I am going to do
anything otherwise, I asked them to decide and
get back to me. People have been coming from
all parts of the sate asking me what next, what I
keep telling them was that they should let
consultation go round and wide because, in
politics, you don’t have to go all alone.

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“Few minutes ago, some leaders were here in my

office and we decided to do what we are doing
now. So, that is the update and I have already
ported to the APC.”

The move against Olaniyan was to start

immediately when the leadership of the PDP in
the state in a statement by the Publicity
Secretary, AkeemOlatunji, refused to take what it
regarded as effrontery on the part of the deputy
governor, urging him to resign his position. The
party charged him to resign honourably stating
that it is nothing but a political fraud for him to
defect to an opposition party with a mandate he
jointly got with the governor and then steal it
through the back door.

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According to him, “Oyo people did not vote for a

PDP/APC joint ticket; they voted entirely for a
PDP mandate, while section 40 of the
Constitution of Nigeria guarantees freedom of
association of any person, the deputy governor
ought to be enlightened by the same constitution
when it stipulated that the ticket upon which he
(Olaniyan) contested the 2019 governorship
election alongside Governor Makinde as a deputy
was not an independent candidate ticket.

“It is only when you contest election as an

independent candidate and win and decide to
move to any political party of your choice that
you become the owner of the votes cast by the
electorate. Unfortunately for Olaniyan, he wants
to eat his cake and still have it. The Oyo PDP,
which is the rightful owner of the mandate, will
retrieve it back in no distant time using every
available legal means if Olaniyan fails to humbly
resign as a gentleman with his new move.”

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“Our position is simple and very clear on this

matter, and as a matter of legal implication, the
votes in any election in Nigeria are to political
parties and not candidates. It is on this note that
the PDP as the ruling party in the state is advising
the deputy governor, RaufOlaniyan, not to be
carried away by the lies and deceits told him by a
political neophyte such as ‘MrJagba’ and be
bamboozled into self-delusion of thinking he can
be used as a tool to steal Oyo people’s mandate
through the backdoor.

“Failure to follow this advice and adhere strictly

to it from the PDP which is the legitimate owner
of every single vote cast by the electorate in the
2019 governorship election, the PDP shall not
hesitate to immediately deploy every
constitutional means to prevent this daylight
robbery. We’re determined and resolved to
retrieve the party’s mandate being withheld
illegally and unlawfully by the deputy governor,
Engr. RaufOlaniyan because it belongs to the
people of Oyo State, who have handled same to
the PDP.”

But the threat that the days of Olaniyan as the

deputy governor are numbered to political
watchers began on June 15 when the state
House of Assembly began moves to impeach him
with five allegations of gross misconduct, abuse
of office, financial recklessness, abandonment of
office and official duty and insubordination and
other offences, levelled against him in a petition
signed by 24 lawmakers who are PDP members.

The petition entitled, “Petition And Notice of

Allegations of the Deputy Governor of Oyo State,
His Excellency Engineer RaufOlaniyan”, read, ”
Consequent upon listed below, we the under
listed elected Honourable members of the 9th
assembly hereby allege the Deputy Governor of
Oyo State, His Excellency Eng. RaufOlaniyan, with
the following allegations :

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“Gross misconduct; abuse of office; financial

recklessness; abandonment of office and official
duty; Insubordination and other offences.

“This is in accordance to the Constitution of the

Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended in 2011.
Section 188.”

The lawmakers with their constituencies that

signed the petition include: FadeyiMuhammed
(OnaAra), OnaolapoSanjo (Ogbomosho South),
BabalolaOlasunkanmi (Egbeda), AdebisiYussuf
(Ibadan Southwest 1), Okedoyin Julius (Saki
West) and Adebayo Babajide (Ibadan North 2).

Others were KehindeOlatunde (Akinyele 2),

OlajideAkintunde (Lagelu), Mustapha Akeem
(Kajola), PopoolaAdemola (Ibadan South East 2),
OwolabiOlusola (Ibadan North East 2),
OlagokeOlamide (Ibadan North East 1),
OlayanjiKazeem (Irepo/Olorunsogo), Ojedokun
Peter (Ibarapa North/Centre),

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