Despite an order of the court to maintain the status quo on the impeachment proceedings, the Oyo State House of Assembly has directed the chief judge to set up a seven-man panel to investigate the deputy governor, Rauf Olaniyan over allegations of gross misconduct.
The court had adjourned till Wednesday to hear the originating summons and interlocutory injunctions brought by Olaniyan.
However, a new twist was added to the case yesterday when the lawmaker representing Oorelope state constituency, Lateef Adebunmi filed an application before the court to be joined as a co-defendant in the matter.
While the counsel to Olaniyan, Chief Afolabi Fashanu asked that he be allowed time to respond appropriately to the application, having been served in court on Wednesday morning, the counsel to the defendants, Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye opposed the application on the grounds that the applicant was not relevant to the matter.
Adebunmi’s counsel, Sunday Aborishade told the court that not granting the application to be joined in the matter before hearing the substantive suit by the court would amount to injustice and denial of fair hearing, noting that the implications of the matter had been deposited before the court.
The case, however, got another twist when counsel to Olaniyan called the attention of the court to the online reports on the directive of the Oyo Assembly to the CJ to set up the panel.
As at the time of filing this report, the judge ordered a recess to write his rulings on the application by the lawmaker to be joined as the fourth defendant in the suit.