Gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin, has declared that residents of the State will resist any attempt to impeach the deputy governor of the State, Engineer Rauf Aderemi Olaniyan.
Folarin, who currently represents Oyo Central senatorial district, made this disclosure on Saturday.
DAILY POST recalls that some members of the State House of Assembly had on Wednesday initiated process to impeach the deputy governor.
The lawmakers alleged that the deputy governor had committed some offences, which necessitated a petition written against him.
The lawmakers who are all members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, warned that failure of the deputy governor to give satisfactory explanations to the allegations would lead to his impeachment.
Folarin has, however, declared that residents of the State will resist any attempt to remove the deputy governor, who recently defected to the APC.
The APC candidate alleged that the impeachment process initiated by Governor Seyi Makinde and the induced lawmakers can be best described as a coup d’etat.
He warned that such attempt would be resisted by the lawmakers who have not sold their consciences and the peace-loving people of Oyo State.
Folarin, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Yekeen Olaniyi, insisted that the impeachment agenda will be resisted by conscientious lawmakers and the people of the State that gave Olaniyan a 4-year mandate as deputy governor.
The lawmaker in the statement made available to DAILY POST on Saturday added that the impeachment process will fail because two-third members required to carry out the process cannot be achieved.
Folarin said, “I wish to reiterate that His Excellency, Rauf Olaniyan’s position as the validly elected Deputy Governor of Oyo state is secured and constitutionally backed; his tenure ends on 29th of May 2023.
“The impeachment process initiated by Governor Makinde and the induced lawmakers can be best described as a coup d’etat, and will be duly resisted by the lawmakers who have not sold their consciences and the peace-loving people of Oyo State.
“I want to remind the involved lawmakers that switching political parties is not an impeachable offence. Therefore, they should be warned not to tow the path of self-destruction.
“It is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that the charges brought against the Deputy Governor are frivolous.
“To this end, I strongly advise the induced lawmakers to refrain from taking any action that could throw Oyo State into a catastrophic political crisis and civil unrest”.
