₦airaland Forum

KASHAMU: A LAWMAKER WITH A HUMAN FACE

His track records speak for him. As a young man, he fought for the rights of others and offered himself a voice for the voiceless.

This, he consummated with his floating of Omoilu Foundation. From the outset, the activities of the Omoilu Foundation proved that Senator (Prince) Buruji Kashamu (SPBK) intended to add value to the lives of people and alleviate the plight of the masses.

Obviously, his dream to reach out to his people by providing empowerment, motivation and every form of support they need to improve the quality and standard of life and living is a progressive reality. He is always looking for ways to creatively touch and impact on the lives of the masses. His day is never complete without touching a life. This, he has done and continue to do even before his venture into politics and his election as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Stories abound of how people who are not his constituents either write or go to his office at the National Assembly daily to seek one form of assistance or the other. When you ask them why they did not go to their representatives, they would say they have gone round and many referred them to Senator Kashamu as the only one who would listen to them and help them out of their plight.

And this he does either personally or through the Omoilu Foundation. However, what is outstanding is the manner in which the foundation caters to the needs of the people. When people are not coming out of their own volition, painstaking efforts are made to seek out the profound needs of individuals, associations and communities and strategically figure out the best way to meet them.

Thus, where money is needed to fund scholarships, medical intervention, house rents or enterprise, it is provided. Where equipment or tools like sewing machines, freezers, grinding machines, motorcycles or even vehicles are needed to start a business, they are provided. Where water is needed, bore holes are sunk. Where there is darkness, transformers are provided to transmit light.
If indeed, the measure of a man's worth is determined by how much he is valued by the people, SPBK's worth is the narrative of many that have benefited, benefiting and will benefit from the enormous personal sacrifice he makes as a man, leader and legislator to wipe tears off the faces of the people - from far and near - and put smiles on them. All these point to the fact that SPBK is a lawmaker with a humane persona. #SPBK cares!

Man suffering tumour of the jaw gets reprieve as Omoilu Foundation picks N.55m medical bill

Sikiru Sunmola, 37, is a native of Ala Ijebu in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State, but resides in Ibadan, Oyo State with his mother.

Due to paucity of funds, Sikiru could not further his education beyond Secondary School and in a bid to help his poor parents make ends meet, he was employed as a factory worker in an aluminum factory and worked in the company with the hope of becoming somebody in the near future and perhaps overcome poverty.

That hope loomed large in his heart until May 19, 2009 when he sustained what his parents then called a minor tear in his mouth after falling off a motorcycle on his way home from work.

But fate had a surprise in stock for him when in 2010 doctors at a specialist hospital in Abeokuta, Ogun State, discovered that what was thought to be a minor injury had transformed into tumour of the jaw and a minor surgery must be performed immediately to prevent it from wreaking further havoc to his jaw.

For seven years Sikiru's parents moved from one relative to the other; they approached well-meaning Nigerians seeking help, all to no avail.

Reprieve finally came the way of Sikiru in February, 2017 when his 72-year old father, Pa Sunmola Adeneye was glancing through one of the daily newspapers and discovered how Omoilu Foundation paid a large sum of money to correct a benign tumour of muscular and fibroid tissues of one Miss Toluwalase Opeyemi of No. 54, Kugba Street, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

His words: "I have been moving round with Sikiru for eight good years, knocking on the doors of relatives and well-meaning Nigerians to seek financial assistance, all to no avail. Many of them got irritated when they see Sikiru. At a point, I decided not to move round again as nothing was forthcoming. It was as if I have been wasting my time and subjecting Sikiru to hardship and embarrassment seeking help all around.

"In February, this year, I was going through one of the old newspapers in my house and I came across how Senator Buruji Kashamu-led Omoilu Foundation paid a huge amount of money for the surgery of one Miss. Toluwalase Opeyemi. At first, I taught it was a lie. I never believed in all these Foundations. It was Sikiru that encouraged me to make a trial and we wrote a letter with Sikiru's picture attached to it."

Pa Sunmola added, "Three days later, as I was about to take my breakfast, I received a call from the State Coordinator of the Foundation, Otunba Niyi Osoba directing me to come to Ijebu Igbo with Sikiru. On getting to Ijebu Igbo, he told us that the Chairman of the Foundation, Senator Kashamu had given his approval for the surgery to be performed with immediate effect. It was like a dream as I never believed we could get help from anybody again after moving round for seven years. I am glad to announce to Nigerians that the surgery was successfully carried out on Wednesday, April 11, 2017 at the University Teaching Hospital (UCH), Ibadan and my boy is recuperating fast.

"I couldn't believe that my boy can still leave a normal life as most of his schoolmates and friends had abandoned him because of his swollen jaw. Words are not enough to thank Senator Buruji Kashamu for this extra-ordinary gesture. How would I have got the money for the surgery? The media officer of Omoilu Foundation, Mr. Oyejide Sunkanmi was here for three days on behalf of the Foundation to support us. The good Lord that I serve will not depart Senator Kashamu and his family. I will visit him to show appreciation as soon as the boy is discharged from here."

SPBK was accused of certain drug offence in the US. He was arrested and tried in UK for extradition. He won.

This offence honestly has nothing to do with our own commonwealth but you folks are desperately seeking for his double trial as in a retrial. Even if possible, unfairly as to be abducted and just bundled to the US!!!

You abuse those of us believe in fairness and due process as of protect of human rights and protection of the sanctity of Nigerians sovereignty. OK. Now imagine this scenario....... OGD is on trial by EFCC for allegations of stealing Ogun monies and land etc etc and abuse of office. This affects our commonwealth and you're passionately in his defence. We respect your right and also insist on due process being followed. So OGD is still free on bail while on trial. Unlike in UK judicial process where SPBK won, in Nigeria, OGD has luxury of appeal on flimsy court order to stall the process. Again, truthfully or otherwise, all prosecution witnesses are now nowhere to be found in the court. This would reasonably make conviction difficult if not impossible.

As law abiding citizens, we wish him the best of luck. Now if OGD is discharged, would you in good conscience equate that to UK extradition trial SPBK went through In foreign hostile land, no relatives, no bail Would you folks upon an OGD court discharge start looking for these runaway prosecution witnesses for a retrial Think! Think!! Leaders and followers, your current thought is faulty, tainted with political animosity and needless vendetta against SPBK for dethroning out of political power!!! Wake to fair political competition and stop these madness. PSS.

PDP: Fayose’s utterances have exposed him, says Kashamu

The senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Buruji Kashamu, has faulted Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose’s position on the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Kashamu, in an interview he granted on Sunday, said the Ekiti State governor was plotting to kill the party before defecting.
The senator said: “I had always known that Fayose has an agenda and alerted our leaders and elders to his agenda of either having his way or destroying the PDP before he leaves for God knows where. Now that he is letting the cat out of the bag, I can only say that Fayose has exposed himself. He has shown that he is the real agent of destabilisation. He is one of those who want to kill the PDP before he defects. However, it should be clearly pointed out that PDP was not founded because of Fayose or any of us. Whether anyone leaves or not, the party will remain. It will not die. The party is like a barracks where soldiers come and go, and the barracks remains. The truth of the matter is that the leadership crisis in the PDP was designed and orchestrated because of the inordinate ambition of some people, especially those who are exiting office next year.”

Kashamu faulted the happenings at the reconciliation meeting summoned by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“I am honestly shocked and surprised that the former President could preside over a meeting where the judgment of the Court of Appeal was being disregarded as irrelevant. This cannot be the face of a party that is desirous of seeking a break with the past. Going by the accounts of what I have heard happened at the meeting, I think it was a needless gathering that has reopened healing wounds and further exacerbated the crisis. How could you gather over 400 people for a reconciliation meeting and expect any meaningful deliberations?

"I say this because any PDP meeting that fails to recognize what our laws and the courts have said about the leadership crisis is on a wrong footing and premise, and it will breed more chaos and confusion such as we have seen. Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is the National Chairman of the PDP as of today based on the Court of Appeal judgment and everybody is bound to abide by that whether we like it or not. You cannot call a Shareholders or Board of Directors meeting and say the Chairman of the Board cannot participate or preside over the meeting. Would the governors have allowed it if they got to the meeting and they were not so recognised? Or were they not addressed as governors even when their elections were being challenged in court? Worse still, some persons said Senator Sheriff must not be recognized as such even when an appellate court has established that Senator Sheriff is the National Chairman of the party,” he said.

Kashamu said National Chairman Ali Modu Sheriff did not disrespect Jonathan by walking out of the meeting, adding: “Senator Ali Modu Sheriff was out of the country when he was called by the former President and told of the meeting and he had to cut short his trip to attend the meeting. That is a sign of respect. Even when he arrived in the country, I understand that he went straight to the former President and they met over the modalities for the meeting, and it was agreed that four of them will address the meeting. That is, former President Jonathan, Senator Sheriff, the BoT Chairman and then Senator Makarfi. However, when he got there, he was not recognised as the National Chairman of the party whereas others were recognised with their titles, including those who were no longer in office. I was reliably informed that Governor Fayose made sure the Master of Ceremonies didn’t recognise Senator Sheriff when he arrived. Again, no seat was reserved for him. They had to hurriedly give him the seat of the BOT Chairman. To further worsen matters and contrary to the earlier agreement, they said he would no longer be allowed to address the gathering and that Governor Fayose said if Sheriff was allowed to address the gathering he would leave the meeting with his people. Instead of allowing the National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff to give the opening remarks and the sacked Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi to give the closing remarks in the true spirit of reconciliation, everything was bungled because of one man’s ego and intransigence and the meeting turned out to be a fiasco. So, the walking out of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff was not on the party leaders but he walked out of a gathering where illegality and impunity – the very factors at the root of the PDP crisis and which led the party to where it is today – were being perpetrated.”

The senator lamented that the actions of some of the party leaders have continued to make it "a laughing stock in the eyes of right-thinking members of the society", adding that, "we should go and put ourselves together before we any other thing".

On the way forward for PDP, Kashamu said: “ I sincerely think that the Governor Seriake Dickson’s committee had given us the roadmap for peace in the party. This other one that is still-born is a mere duplication of efforts. Whatever amendment that is needed to be done should be suggested to the committee. It has the buy in and support of the relevant organs and stakeholders of the party. I wish to plead with our leaders such as the former Senate President David Mark, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and former National Chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, and other well-meaning leaders to step up their game and provide the kind of leadership that the party needs at this time. Otherwise, we might all have to wait till the outcome of the appeal at the Supreme Court which might be later this year or sometimes next year. Our respected party leaders should be elder statesmen in their actions in private and in public. We need their strength of character, courage, forthrightness and sincerity of purpose at this crucial time. We do not need some charlatans who were nothing before they became governors; who when stripped of the office become bare and empty.”

Community leaders hail Kashamu over interest-free loan

The lawmaker representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Buruji Kashamu has been commended for initiating the interest-free micro-loan scheme across the 20 local government areas of Ogun State.

No fewer than 1,500 petty traders from 17  local government areas benefitted from the pilot scheme which the lawmaker has been doing even before he sought elective post.

Speaking in Abeokuta, a community leader from Ibaro village in Abeokuta North Local Government Area, Oyelade Adebayo said the revolving loan would go a long way in assisting petty traders to revive their business.

He praised the lawmaker for the gesture which, he said, came as a surprise that a Nigerian lawmaker can extended dividend of democracy beyond his constituency.

"It has never happened in the history of Ogun State that a lawmaker who is not from our zone can be this generous. Through his Omoilu Foundation, our people have been blessed. Omoilu Foundation representatives have been flooding this community with foodstuffs, exercise books for our children and many other gifts.

"This micro-loan is expected to boost business activities in this community. Our market women can now go back to business. My advice for the 25 beneficiaries who received N50,000 each in my community is to seize this opportunity and grow their businesses. We say a big thank you to Senator Kashamu and also pray to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala to continue to bless him," he said.

Also speaking, Chief Shina Aderibigbe  described the gesture as an avenue that offers a fresh beginning to the market women. He urged them to make repayment regularly so it can be extended to others since it is a revolving scheme.

"This is another opportunity for our women to get back to business. I have gone through the memorandum of understanding and I see that it not only interest-free loan, it is also a revolving loan that allows them to access the loan as many times as possible. I urge well-meaning Nigerians to emulate Senator Kashamu and assist the masses," he added.

A GOOD TREE IS KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS

SPBK’s leadership skills are manifest in the dynamic and sustainable manner in which he conceived, structured and progressively guides the activities of the Omoilu Foundation.

Through the Foundation, SPBK has created and motivated teams of leaders and service providers that are positively affecting the lives of people across the country, especially in the South West.

A good tree is known by its fruits; Omoilu Foundation is one of the many good fruits of the giant tree – SPBK!

Dimeji Bankole’s Group, SDP Members Defect To PDP In Ogun


Members of Dimeji Bankole Political Movement (DBM) in Sagamu local government area have declared their support for the Engineer Bayo Dayo-led Ogun PDP.

Leading the members in an elaborate ceremony held in the early hours of Sunday in Ijebu Igbo, was Alhaja Sakirat Bolanle Jimoh, the leader of the movement in Sagamu local government area.

Receiving members of the group, the Ogun PDP Chairman, Engineer Bayo Dayo, commended their courage, saying unity is key if the party is to reclaim its lost glory.

He urged them to bring their wealth of experience to bear on the party to enable it return back to winning ways in 2019.

Speaking on behalf of the members, Alhaja Sakirat said she and the other members of the movement decided to team up with the Engineer Bayo-led PDP as a result of the olive branch extended to warring members of the party by the national chairman of the party, Senator Ali-Modu Sheriff immediately after the Port-Harcourt Appeal court judgement.

Alhaja Sakirat assured Engineer Bayo that members of the group would work with the existing party structure on ground and deliver Sagamu local government to the PDP.

In a related development, 35 SDP leaders from Sagamu local government area also dumped the SDP for the PDP with a promise to bring more members of the party into the PDP fold.

Omoilu Foundation Congratulates Seriki On His Appointment As SA To PDP National Chairman

The management of Omoilu Foundation has congratulated one of its leaders, Prince Segun Seriki, on his appointment as the Special Advicer (SA) on media to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu- Sheriff.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Ogun state coordinator of the Foundation, Otunba (Comrade) Niyi Osoba, and made available to newsmen.

It said the news of Seriki’s appointment as SA on media to the PDP National Chairman did not come as a surprise to the Foundation, saying that his sound records in media activities made him an asset.

It said Seriki’s wealth of experience when it comes to strategic communication process amongst other qualities, must have informed the decision of the PDP National Chairman on his appointment.

“On behalf of the management and members of Omoilu Foundation, we rejoice with you on this appointment.

“I wish to further join your family, members, friends and associates in prayers to Almighty Allah to guide you in the discharge of your new responsibilities,’’ the statement added.

DON'T APPOINT POLITICIANS AS JUDGES: GROUP TELLS NJC, AGF, SSS, OTHERS

*SAYS APPEAL COURT JUSTICE-NOMINEE IS PDP MEMBER

Click on the link below to view the petition:


https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1735333646796850&id=100009606940456

Omoilu Foundation Exco passes confidence vote on Senator Kashamu...Lauds his philanthropic gestures

Members of the Omoilu Foundation Executive Committee (Exco) in Ogun State, comprising the State officers, Local Government coordinators and secretaries, have passed  a vote of confidence  on the founder of the Foundation, Senator Buruji Kashamu for his unqualified support to the organisation.

The vote of confidence on Senator Kashamu was passed on Friday at the expanded State Executive Committee (Exco) meeting.

A three-term Chairman of Ijebu North-East Local Government Area and the State Women Leader of the Foundation, Otunba (Mrs) Remi Odubote-Ogunkoya moved the motion, which was seconded by Hon. Odejimi Olalekan from Abk South Local Government Area.

The motion was unanimously  adopted by the state officers, local government coordinators and secretaries in attendance.

Addressing  members of the state executive council after the vote of confidence, Osoba said the foundation has been able to achieve a lot, courtesy of the unwavering support and regular funding of the organisation by its founder, Senator Buruji Kashamu.
He said Omoilu Foundation remains the only Foundation that is totally committed to the cause of the down-trodden in Southwestern Nigeria.
Speaking further, he said N19.5million has been disbursed to 700 beneficiaries across Ogun State in the first phase of the Foundation's zero-interest rate micro-credit scheme that was flagged-off in April 2016.

"We want to appreciate the founder of Omoilu Foundation, Senator Kashamu for committing his hard-earned money to the service of humanity. He is a philanthropist of repute. We have disbursed a micro-loan of N19.5Million to 700 people across Ogun State in the last seven months under the Foundation's zero-interest micro-loan scheme.

"The second phase of the loan scheme shall commence soon and over 800 market men and women are expected to benefit from it. The foundation has also picked hospital bills of many indigent patients, just as we have given out scholarship to indigent students in both the secondary and tertiary institutions, " Osoba said.

He urged the state officers, local government coordinators and ward coordinators of the Foundation  to remain firm and concentrate on reaching out to people who are willing to become members of the Foundation.

“I call on you to be firm and committed. Remain solid on ground and ensure your respective units are in order. I urge you all to comb everywhere in your local government areas and fish out people that could be part of the activities of Omoilu Foundation. Bring on board as many as possible so they can benefit from the second phase of our micro loan scheme," the coordinator said.

In his exhortation, the pioneer State Coordinator of Omoilu Foundation, Mr. Leke Shitu urged the local government coordinators to work in harmony with the micro-finance bank officials in their localities to ensure the beneficiaries access the loan without much stress.
He commended the coordinators of Abeokuta South, Ijebu North, Ijebu North- East, Ipokia, Sagamu and Ijebu Ode local government areas for working hand-in- hand with the micro-finance bank officials in their respective local government areas.


Speaking on behalf of the senatorial and local government officials, the Ogun Central Senatorial District Coordinator of the Foundation, Hon. Akeem Odejimi hailed Senator Kashamu for always keeping to his words, saying the Foundation has done a lot in helping people to be business owners through series of empowerment programmes and the micro-credit scheme.

Dignitaries in attendance were the PDP chairperson for Ijebu North local government area, Chief Mrs Omotuke Omotara, Chief Aina Ijakoko, Chief Suraju Adeleye, Hon. Folarin Nasir, Chief Mrs. Iyabo Ogunmefun, Hon. Jigan Taiwo, Barrister Seun Adesanya, Engineer Segun Kaka among others.

KASHAMU AGAIN…SPEAKS ON THE WAY FORWARD FOR PDP
• WARNS AGAINST FAYOSE’S ANTICS‎
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“The enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good general full of caution”
- Sun Tzu

INTRODUCTION
Following the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, which validated the choice of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and invalidated the setting up of a National Caretaker Committee, a lot of reactions and counter-reactions have rented the air and media space. I was also one of those who spoke, urging our respected leaders and elders to wade in, bury the hatchet and let us forge a common front. Specifically, I advised against appealing the 17th February, 2017 judgment of the Court of Appeal in the interest of peace and our members and supporters.
I am once again compelled to intervene in the needless muscle-flexing manifested in the Notice of Appeal and the application for a stay of execution of the judgment by some self-centred leaders of our party.


THE ISSUES
Given my deep knowledge of the issues, I do know, like I stated in the past without many of our leaders and elders taking heed, that this may yet be another wild goose chase. Asking for a stay of execution of a declaratory judgment or going to the Supreme Court to pursue an appeal that is not an election issue or matter between a state and the Federal Government may not be the better part of valour or discretion. It will prolong the issues unduly and further distract us as a party.
First, it is almost impracticable to ask a court of competent jurisdiction to either arrest or suspend its own judgment. That is tantamount to asking a court to stop a judgment creditor from enjoying the fruits of his labour. There is hardly a court worth the name that grants such an application.
Secondly and realistically, it is only after the Court of Appeal has heard and determined the motion for a stay of execution of the judgment that an appeal can be formally lodged at the Supreme Court. Not being an election petition or a constitutional matter, the appeal will take its normal course in the docket.
Why the insistence on appealing to the Supreme Court after the gentleman’s agreement between the two leaders to abide by the verdict of the Court of Appeal? Why has the intransigence of members of the Caretaker Committee? Why do they want to hold on to office without end? I know that Prince Dayo Adeyeye wants to succeed Fayose as governor of Ekiti State and he feels he can’t have his way with the present realities. But what does our revered national leader, Senator Ahmed Makarfi want that he cannot overlook whatever grievances he may have with Senator Sheriff and join hands with him to organize an all-embracing National Convention in the interest of peace and our party?
If not for ego and selfish ambition, there is no reason why anyone should insist on appealing an incurably bad case. The same Fayose who is on record as having urged party faithful to await the verdict of the Court of Appeal before any meaningful reconciliation could take place is now saying a court cannot choose a leader for the party. Yet, he is one of the arrowheads of “we must go to the Supreme Court” campaign. The question is: since, according to him, a court cannot choose a leader for the party, what does he want the Supreme Court to do?
I am also aware that being a dogged fighter and a consummate politician, Senator Sheriff will not fold his hands and allow his rights to be trampled upon. Information at my disposal indicates that he has assembled a team of top and some of the best in the legal profession to take up the appeal in case it goes on. Since some of our leaders have remained recalcitrant and almost ridiculing the judgment of the Court of Appeal, I have also read in the media that criminal contempt proceedings have been filed at the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt against some of them. That seems to me like a reaction to their defiance of the judgment of the Court of Appeal. According to lawyers, the practice is that contempt proceedings will first be heard and determined one way or the other before any other application – be it the motion for stay of execution or the appeal itself – can be entertained. Only God knows how long all of these would take.
It is granted that everyone has his own interest to protect and pursue. But, such interest must be measured and accommodated within the interest of the majority. You cannot be pursuing your own interest and then seek to stop the other person from pursuing his. You do not say because you want to build a mansion, all the other buildings in your neighbourhood must be demolished. Live and let’s live. That is the essence of party politics and life itself.
Surprisingly, it beats my imagination how our leaders and elders cannot see through the fact that it is only one man’s vaunting ambition that is tearing our party apart. Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose’s interest is to first become the Vice-Presidential candidate of the PDP in 2019 and then from there the Presidential candidate! He had thought that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff would be a pliable tool towards achieving his ambition. It was when he saw that Senator Sheriff was a man of his own who would not succumb to being pushed around or dictated to that he began the onslaught and blackmail against him. Even Senator Ahmed Makarfi is also not spared of their blackmail. But, thankfully, he has carried on with a high sense of level-headedness, grace and candour. That is why I always say that both leaders – Senators Sheriff and Makarfi – have proven themselves to be respectable leaders and men of honour. They both agreed to abide by the decision of the Court of Appeal. There is no need for anyone to nudge any of them to renege on the gentleman agreement they had. Why would anyone resort to pressurizing any of our leaders to pursue an appeal at the Supreme Court at a time we should close ranks and reposition our party for the challenges ahead? We know that the Supreme Court will take ages and we may not be able to finish the legal battle before2019, when will we have time to mobilize, organize and harmonize for 2019

Nigerians, particularly party leaders, elders and members would recall all the glowing tributes that some of those calling Senator Sheriff names paid to him on his emergence as the National Chairman of our great party about a year ago.
In fact, his now most vociferous critic, Fayose, said, “The All Progressives Congress (APC) knows Senator Ali Modu Sheriff's capacity in terms of political network, being a three term senator and two term governor, and must be afraid that with such a person as the PDP Chairman, their regime of lies will be over soon.” He then went on to beg aggrieved party members to sheath their swords! So, at what point did he discover the “HIV” that he was talking about? Was it when he refused to take instructions from him or dance to his tunes?
If Senator Sheriff did not have what it takes to lead the party, the governors and other leaders and elders of our party would not have brought him. It is wrong and unjust to have brought him and now turn against him in the middle of the road because they suspected that he had an ambition beyond the party Chairmanship.
While not confirming the suspicion, I dare say that even if Senator Sheriff wanted to contest to be President, it is not automatic that he would win the primary election, let alone the general election. It is what the Almighty Allah has ordained that will come to pass. Nothing precludes him or Senator Makarfi from aspiring to higher positions. It is only a dead man that does not have aspirations. The mere fact that someone is alleged to have an ambition does not justify the elongation of the leadership crisis by anyone. More so, when Senator Sheriff has indicated his interest to organize an all-embracing National Convention and quit the stage. By going to the Supreme Court instead of teaming up with him, the same people who said they don’t want him are merely prolonging Senator Sheriff’s stay in office because he could choose to wait till the Supreme Court dispenses of the matter. And God helps them if Senator Sheriff wins again at the Supreme Court.
Come to think of it: Is Senator Sheriff not better than Fayose who is so blinded by his ambition that he does not know where to pull the brakes? He believes the quickest way to realizing his selfish ambition is to abuse the President and denigrate the very office he now seeks to occupy. He has been lying about his VP ambition until recently that he schemed his way into the Chairmanship of the PDP Governors’ Forum and has now announced to the whole world that he wants to become the President. But, he would soon know that Nigerians, and particularly the good people of Ekiti State, are not fools. They can see through his antics.
Nigerians would recall that some time ago, I told them that Fayose wanted to be Vice-Presidential candidate of the PDP and that that was why he wanted the party structure under his control. He lied that he was not interested in being any VP. Now, he has come out to tell the whole world that he wants to be VP and then President. So, should such a person be trusted? Whereas over the weekend we all saw that the five South East Governors met in Enugu where Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi was elected as the Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum, how many PDP governors were at the meeting where Fayose was purportedly chosen? The mere fact that most of the governors have never attended any meeting he calls since his purported emergence speaks volume. That they have not publicly joined issues with him speaks more to their level of maturity than acquiescence.
While nudging some of our leaders to go to the Supreme Court and purporting to be speaking on behalf of the PDP Governors’ Forum that they would not participate in the National Convention being planned by the party, Fayose launched a political group in Ekiti State last Thursday. I thought he said he has the people with him. Why the registration if he has them already? So, all the talks about the people being with him have no basis in facts and figures.
Although we know that no meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum has held since the Court of Appeal gave its judgment, and no such decision or anyone for that matter has been taken by the Forum, it is incumbent all our well-meaning leaders and elders of our party to rise up to the occasion and act like the “enlightened ruler” who “is heedful” and the “good general” who “is full of caution” – as espoused by the war veteran, Sun Tzu.
With Fayose’s recent open declarations and actions, all well-meaning PDP leaders and elders should pause for a moment and reflect deeply on the issues and their positions. Whilst trying to work out his own political future, he does not want the PDP to have a united front, except things are done on his terms.
That is why in one breath he would describe Senator Sheriff as the best thing to have happened to our party and another breadth call him names. He deceives and speaks from both sides of the mouth with ease.
When efforts were on to reconcile the leaders while the matter was pending at the Court of Appeal, he said, “That move, you see, I’m not against anything called resolution within the party but everybody must wait for Court of Appeal to resolve this matter.
“Matters are in court, nobody has withdrawn any matter and they are resolving. What are you resolving? When matters are in court you, allow court to lay them to rest. The moment this thing doesn’t go with one side, they will tell you are still in court.
“But allow the court to take a stand and reconciliation would be made easy…Let’s wait till then. But my opinion is the Court of Appeal must resolve this matter. When you resolve the matter, you know that I am wrong and you are right and reconciliation will be made easy.”
Now, the Court of Appeal that Fayose said should be awaited to resolve the matter has given its judgment and he is screaming blue murder, threatening to pull down the roofs. Other well-meaning leaders and elders are saying all stakeholders should come together and support the national leadership of the party towards organizing an all-embracing National Convention but he would not have any of such. It is somewhat intriguing that a man who says the majority is on his side is afraid of testing his popularity at a National Convention! Practical politics tells me that anyone who refuses to participate in the proposed National Convention would be shooting himself in the foot because the convention will elect new national officers for the party without his input. Anything Senator Sheriff does until the Supreme Court affirms the judgment of the Court of Appeal or says otherwise remains valid.
To those who have some morbid fears about the National Convention, I wish to reassure them that Senator Sheriff alone cannot single-handedly determine what will happen in PDP. He has been consulting with party leaders and elders on the way forward. He knows he needs everyone and that is why he has continued to preach peace and reconciliation instead of joining issues with his critics. Our respected leaders and elders should give Senator Sheriff the benefit of the doubt and join hands with him towards organizing an all-embracing National Convention. If they tell him what to do towards holding such an event and he does not, then their allegations against him can be sustained and better appreciated.
CONCLUSION
I wish to conclude this piece by urging most of our leaders and elders not to join the bandwagon in merely saying they are appealing the judgment for the fun of it. They should take time out to read the judgment of the Court of Appeal and digest it. They should not rely on what anyone tells them. Quite honestly, they will find that Senator Sheriff’s case was and is still being made stronger by their own admission and averments even in their Notice of Appeal. They agreed that there was an 18th of May, 2016 judgment of the Hon. Justice Mohammed of the FCT High Court that said certain officers should be in office till August, 2017, two others till October, 2018 and Senator Sheriff till election is held, but that it did not nullify the Notice of Convention as sought by the plaintiffs. Pray, why would a court bother itself to nullify the Notice of a Convention when a convention could either be elective and non-elective? The corollary question is that: if the court did not nullify the Notice of Convention did it say those that were removed should be removed? No. Rather, it secured their tenure. Instead of challenging that judgment on appeal, the gladiators who are pushing for an appeal to the Supreme Court as if they know what the others do not know did not. They took the laws into their own hands, subverted the constitution of the PDP and sought to rubbish the court judgment.
Besides, there are still two subsisting court orders from the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court that also sought to sidestep. This is in addition to the brushing aside of the mandatory provisions of Article 47 (3) of the PDP Constitution.
That was why the Presiding Judge of the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal said, “My conclusion is that the originating summons herein was contrived to overreach the interlocutory order of Buba, J. on the 24/05/16. The notice of preliminary objection challenging the competence of the lower court to entertain Suit No. FHC/PH/CS524/16 ought to have been upheld and it is hereby upheld for being meritorious. The originating summons is an abuse of court process and it ought to have been struck out as such. It is hereby accordingly struck out. All orders made therein are set aside.
“On issue 2, in view of the averments of the Plaintiff/1st Respondent in paragraphs 27 to 30 of the affidavit in support of the originating summons, the removal from office of the Appellants and other members of the NEC of the 1st Respondent was done illegally, against the provisions of its Constitution and therefore null, void and of no effect. It is accordingly set aside. The parties are ordered to maintain the status quo as at 18/5/16 courtesy of the judgment and orders of Mohammed, J. in Suit No. FCT/CV/1443/16. For these and the more elaborate reasons of my learned brother in the lead judgment, I too would allow this appeal and abide by all the consequential orders therein”.
Like I have always done, I want to plead with all our national leaders and elders to rise up to occasion and provide the needed leadership at this critical time in the life of our party. It is most ridiculous and unfortunate that in party that has eminent personalities like Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu; Senator Godswill Akpabio, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Senator Jubrin Walid, Chief Olabode George, Prof. Jerry Gana, Senator Ibrahim Mantu and other respected elders, an uncouth and garrulous Fayose would be presiding over a meeting that they are in, making orders and insulting their age, experience and integrity. He claims to be the oldest Governor as if he had served more than the eight years guaranteed by the Constitution! Fayose is just after his own parochial interest. Nothing more! His allegations against Senator Sheriff are unfounded. He is even on record as having defended him against the same allegations of working for the All Progressives Congress (APC). So, let no one fall for his debauchery. It is those who are hell-bent on going to the Supreme Court and thereby prolonging the issue that are working for the APC. The Court of Appeal has resolved the leadership issue. The National Secretariat of our party has been opened. Renovation works have commenced in full swing. The party secretariat is now wearing a new look. The air of freedom, equity and justice is blowing across the PDP. Our party is regaining itself and coming back to life, as it was pre-May, 2016. Things are beginning to take shape. Let everyone come under the umbrella of our great party and find rest. The umbrella is big enough to accommodate all. Let’s unite, pull resources together and move our party forward. Let’s deepen democracy. This is the time to roll up our sleeves and work together in the overall interest of our beloved party and country. This clarion call is to our brothers and sisters in the North, South, East and West. Let us rise above selfish and parochial interests and show the whole world that we have the capacity to resolve our differences. Let us show that our strength does not lie in not disagreeing but that when we do disagree, we also have the capacity to resolve our differences. We have done it before; we can do it again. We have tested the courts and it has not completely resolved the issues. Let us pause for a moment and talk to ourselves. Senator Sheriff has continually restated his commitment to quit the stage after organizing an all-inclusive National Convention. Why don’t we just support him to achieve this instead of threatening to bring the house down because things did not go our way? Let us learn to be humble. For as David Richo said, “Humility means accepting reality with no attempt to outsmart it”. The reality in all of these is that “politics must submit to the law” as enunciated by the eminent jurist Fatayi-Williams. Let us accept this reality, situate our interests and work together as practical politicians who love our country and party.
Senator Buruji Kashamu
Ogun East Senatorial District

Contempt: Sheriff asks court to jail Makarfi, Obi, others





Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has asked the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to jail his arch rival, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, and some of his loyalists.

Apart from the former governor of Kaduna State, Sheriff, who is also a former governor of Borno State, also listed three other prominent leaders of the party as those to be jailed by the appellate court.
Sheriff and the National Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, accused Makarfi and others of flouting the order of the court, which was delivered on February 17, 2017.

The court, in the judgment, had pronounced Sheriff as the national chairman of the party while it also upheld that Oladipo remained its national secretary.
Apart from Makarfi, others named as alleged contemnors are the two other members of the sacked National Caretaker Committees, Senator Ben Obi (secretary) and Mr. Dayo Adeyeye(publicity secretary).

He also listed a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, among the alleged contemnors.

Sheriff, in suit number FHC/ PH/CS/524/16, asked the court to commit the four persons to prison for one year over the alleged contempt.

Apart from the four named above, the PDP national chairman also listed a former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha; a former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; Chairman, Board of Trustees of the party, Senator Walid Jibrin; and an aspirant to the office of the party’s national chairman, Chief Bode George, as alleged contemnors.

However, he did not pray the court to commit Ihedioha, Gana, Jibrin and George to prison, rather, he asked the court for an order restraining them from “proclaiming or otherwise holding out to the public that the 1st to 3rd  alleged contemnors are national  officers of the PDP for any purpose whatsoever.”
Listed as defendants in the case are the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services.

The duo asked the court to stop Makarfi and his group from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

They also asked the court to direct the IGP and the DSS to close down the factional secretariat being operated by the Makarfi group.

Apart from that, they also asked the court not to transmit the records of the court proceedings to Markarfi and his group, saying they didn’t have the permission of the party to get it.

Oladipo, who signed an affidavit in support of the claim, stated that on February 17, “soon after the judgment was delivered, the alleged contemnors proceeded to address the media and to comment negatively, contemptuously, disparagingly and contumeliously on the findings and order of the court set out above.”

He added, “Rather than accept that the justice of the matter as determined by this honourable court was as expressed in the findings, holdings and order set out above, the 4th to 8th Alleged Contemnors made statements encouraging the 1st to 3rd respondents to defy the order of the court and flout the purpose of the court’s judgment delivered on the 17th of February 2017.”

He said it was on this basis that the alleged contemnors placed notices in newspapers, where they convened a meeting of what they called “PDP stakeholders.”

He stated, “The said meeting was held on Monday, February 20, and was attended by the 4th to 8th alleged contemnors, who made further statements encouraging the 1st to 3rd alleged contemnors to defy the holdings and order of the court.”

The motion on notice for the committal of the alleged  contemnors was filed by eight lawyers, led by a former Minister of Justice, Akin Olujimi (SAN), who was joined by two other SANs – Dr. Alex Izinyon  and B. E. Nwofor – among others.

The lawyers said, “The actions of the alleged contemnors, as shown in the affidavit in support of this application, have the effort of flouting the purpose of the judgment of this Honourable court, which purpose is to properly regulate the exercise of powers by the alleged contemnors against the applicants and 1st Respondent; avoid any further anarchy, lawlessness and deepening crisis capable of heating up the Nigerian polity; and establish the requirements of the rule of law and due process in the administration of justice.

“Although the alleged contemnors were not parties to the action in court, it is our humble submission that they have a responsibility to ensure that they do not aid and abet the disobedience of the judgment order or treat the said judgment with disdain and disrespect.”

Markarfi and the other faction of the party are believed to have filed an application seeking for stay of execution of the judgment and leave for appeal.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of Sheriff’s case, which was filed on February 24, 2017.

A Non-governmental organisation, Advocacy for Advancement of Peace and Harmony in Africa Initiative(ADAPHAI) has petitioned the President of Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuka over the nomination of Dr. Yemi Oke, from Ogun State, as justice of the Court of Appeal.

The petition, duly signed by the Executive Director of the organisation, Mr Olaniyi Ajibola, and made available to journalists on Friday drew the attention of Justice Bulkachuka to some fundamental issues that allegedly make Oke unfit to that exalted position on the bench.

The petition established the membership of Oke in the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, and some of the major roles he has played as card-carrying member of the party.

It copiously quoted the Punch Newspaper, which reported Oke as a PDP Legal Adviser in Ogun State in 2011, and also as member of the State Executive Committee of the party, aside having once contested against the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole from Abeokuta South Federal Constituency.

Oke, according to the petition lack the requisite integrity, temperament, and civility to serve on the bench, therefore called for his disqualification through swift action to save the bench from impeding embarrassment and odium.

"Our attention has been drawn to several publications in both online and the traditional media, in which one Dr. Yemi Oke from Ogun State was listed as having been recommended by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and shortlisted for appointment as a Justice of the Court of Appeal.

" We wish to say that we are alarmed at the development and felt it is incumbent on us, as an organization that is committed to the promotion of peace, good governance and democratic ethos to let you know that Dr. Yemi Oke is not a fit and proper person to be considered for such a privileged appointment.

"Dr. Yemi Oke is a well-known politician and a card-carrying member of the PDP in Ogun State where he once served as the Legal Adviser and a member of the Ogun State State Executive Committee (Exco) of the PDP (See the Certified True Copy (CTC) of The Punch newspaper of 4th January, 2011 under the headline “PDP returns Bankole’s opponents in Ogun” marked “Annexure I”).

"According to the Punch newspaper report, “The three aggrieved aspirants from the Abeokuta South Constituency running against Bankole are the former speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mrs. Titi Oseni; the PDP Legal Adviser, Dr. Yemi Oke; and a member of the G-9 lawmakers, Mr. Fasiu Bakene.

" The three contestants were last Friday disqualified by the screening panel headed by Gen. A.B Mamman from contesting the PDP primaries for National Assembly aspirants for their alleged roles in the political crisis in Ogun State.

"Oke was also disqualified on the basis that he failed to use his superior knowledge of the law to advise the party properly, thereby orchestrating the crisis in the party, using his position as a lawyer to destabilize the party and cause disunity contrary to desirable qualities and code of conduct guiding party members," the petition reads.

Meanwhile, the president of Nigerian Bar Association, the Director-General, State Security Service, the Chairman, National Judicial Council, and the Chairman, Federal Judicial Service Commission among others were copied in the petition.

2019 General Elections: APC loses Executive Committee Members to PDP In Ogun State

..Shred membership cards

Ahead of the 2019 general elections in Ogun State, more Exco members of the rulling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), have switched to the Engineer Bayo-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abeokuta North LGA of the state.

The defectors, Mr. Toheeb Taiwo, APC legal advicer (Abk North) , Mrs. Oladoju Adijat, APC deputy women leader
(Abk North), Mr. Mohammed Alani, APC Asst. Youth leader (Abk North), Mr. Simon Lateef, APC Youth leader (Abk North), Mr. Olawunmi Gbenga, Auditor (Abk North) and Mrs. Bankole Olutola, women leader ( Abk North) tore their membership cards after dumping the party.

The defectors claimed they made up their minds to quit the APC after much appraisal of the political value of the leader of the party in the Southwest, Senator Buruji Kashamu.

According to Lateef, who spoke on behalf of the decampees, the rulling party in the state has become unpopular and irrelevant. A PDP Chieftain in the state, Alhaji Munir Idris who represented the Ogun PDP Chairman, Engineer Adebayo Dayo received the defectors into the party.

Speaking on the ocassion, Alhaji Munir said the waves of defection hitting the APC in recent times was a testament to the fact that the people of Ogun State are tired of the ruling APC.

The way forward for PDP, by Kashamu
…Senator accuses Fayose of inconsistency
The senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Buruji Kashamu, has faulted the decision of the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to challenge the choice of Ali Modu Sheriff as the party’s national chairman.
He urged members to support Sheriff to keep the party alive.  
Kashamu, in a statement yesterday, also condemned Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose for what he tagged his inconsistency on Sheriff’s leadership of the party.
“Going to the apex court to test issues of common sense will only prolong the national leadership crisis and make the current office holders to stay in office in longer than they ordinarily would have done, with its attendant consequences. We have election coming up in Anambra State this year and later in Osun and Ekiti states.  So, we must do primaries either later this year and early next year. We cannot afford to allow the fate that befell us in Edo and Ondo states to repeat itself. The 2019  general elections are fast approaching. We cannot afford to go into it as a weakened and divided house.  Like I have consistently maintained: this is political crisis and it is better resolved politically, with compromises here and there. ‎ Let our respectable and experienced leaders and elders not allow the ill-motivated opinion and selfish interest of a few mislead them to taking actions that will not be in the overall interest of our party, its teeming members and supporters. We have come a long way together. We cannot afford to part now or divide our party any further,” he said.
The senator added: “Let all true party men and women, young and old, rich and poor, strong or weak, rise and rally round our National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and our national leader, Senator Ahmed Makarfi  to put the party together and organise a free and fair and all-embracing National Convention within 45 to 60 days. Both of them are our national leaders. They have shown by their conduct and actions  that they love our party.  They are both fantastic leaders‎ who have made their marks on our hearts, not just on the sands of time because that may be a fading memory.
“It is gratifying to note that Senator Sheriff has ‎once again openly stated that he is not interested in perpetuating himself in office as the National Chairman. He has said he is ready to make the necessary sacrifice to move the party forward. Let other stakeholders take a clue from him and meet him half-way in the interest of the party!
“I urge all our respected and respectable governors, NASS members, NEC members, BOT members, leaders and elders of our party from the North, South, East and West, to encourage and support Sheriff and Makarfi towards the process of organising a manifestly transparent National Convention and return the party to the people at the grassroots.
“Let all those who have ambitions to become President, Vice President, Governors, lawmakers and the like know that they do not need to be in control of the party structure (s) to emerge candidates or win elections. It is a function of many factors and ultimately the Almighty Allah. He is the only who enthrones and dethrones leaders.
“I sincerely doubt if anyone that is talking of going to the Supreme Court has the interest of the party at heart. Going to the Supreme Court will not resolve the issues. Rather, it will prolong them and further endanger the party. Senator Sheriff will not fold his hands and allow the judgment in his favour to be ridiculed. Both sides of the divide will assemble formidable legal team that will want to test the law with our situation. However, from my layman's point of view, these issues have to do with precedents, which cannot be altered, no matter how powerful or well-connected anybody might be. Can a party organ be bigger than the party's constitution and the laws of the land which set up the courts?‎ Court orders and judgment must be obeyed, no matter how unpleasant they seem to us. To do otherwise is an invitation to anarchy and a crisis situation just as we had on our hands before the judicial intervention.” 
On Fayose, he said: “Not a few have wondered why the volte-face by Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State. Exactly a year ago, he praised PDP National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, to high heavens, extolling his qualities. Now, he is singing a new song. The questions are: what has changed? Why the inconsistency? Why the flip-flop? Should anyone take him seriously?”

DAY 2: Ogun East Senatorial Projects Monitoring Team in Action!

The Team:

1. Otunba Leke Adekoya (Special Advicer to Senator Kashamu on Special Duty)

2. Hon. Daisi Akintan (Ogun East PDP Senatorial Chairman)

3. Otunba (Comrade) Niyi Osoba (Ogun State Coordinator Omoilu Foundation)

4. Hon. Onamusi Onadeko (SLA to Senator Buruji Kashamu)

Projects Inspected today, February 18, 2017:

1. Construction of a block of 3 classrooms @Christ Disciple Pry Sch , Atikori ,Ijebu Igbo in Ijebu North Local Government Area.

2. Construction of a block of 3 classrooms @Methodist comprehensive High School Ago Iwoye in Ijebu North Local Government Area.

3. Construction of a block of 3 classrooms @United Anglican Primary School Iworo, Ijebu North East Local Government Area.

4. Rehabilitation of Ansar-Ud Deen Primary School 1 hall (Otta) in Ijebu Ode Local Government Area.

5. Construction of a block of 3 classrooms and furniture @ Agbele high School in Sagamu local government area.

6. Rehabilitation of a block of 3 classrooms @ St.Paul Primary School Ijokun in Sagamu Local Government Area.

7. Construction of a block of 3 classrooms and furniture @ LG primary school Eluju in Remo North Local Government Area.



See pictures below:

Appeal Court Victory: Group Congratulates Sen. Kashamu, Adebayo Dayo

...Call on supporters to put aside political sentiments and join hands for the progress of the party

The Ogun state Coordinator of Omoilu Foundation, Otunba (Comrade) Niyi Osoba, has congratulated the senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Buruji Kashamu and the PDP Chairman in Ogun State, Engineer Adebayo Dayo on the victory at the appeal court yesterday.

In a statement singed by Osoba, the group described the judgment as a victory for all PDP members and the masses that stood by the party all through the trying moment and not for Senator Kashamu or Engineer Adebayo Dayo alone.

The organization commended the trio of Senator Alimodu Sheriff, Senator Buruji Kashamu and Engineer Adebayo Dayo for their decision to toe the path of justice instead of resorting to violence in resolving the crisis.

“I am also using this opportunity to call on chieftains and supporters of the party across Nigeria to put aside political sentiments and join hands for the progress of the party and to further desist from making derogatory statements that might result to any breach of peace in PDP. We expect chieftains and supporters of our great party (PDP) across Nigeria to come under one umbrella to pursue a common goal. We need to be united for progress if we are to return back to power in 2019.

“Also, I wish to thank members of Omoilu Foundation for showing maximum solidarity throughout the trying moment. I want to assure you all that the storm is over," Osoba said.

OUR PARTY REMAINS INTACT.......Ogun PDP.

The Adebayo Dayo- led leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun state has said that the party remains intact and strong despite the defection of some members of the party from ogun central senatorial district.

In a statement released yesterday in Abeokuta at the end of its State Working Committee and signed by its State Publicity secretary, Bolaji Adeniji, the party said, "Ordinarily, the decision by the few insignificant numbers of person to leave the party and identify with an opposition politician from another state entirely, Should be of no concern to us, after all, a political party is the gathering of like minds with shared philosophy and organizing principles; that come together for the purpose of forming government. However, it is pertinent we state unequivocally that, the departure of Aare Tunde Alabi, Engr. Akeem Adesina and Nuru Olaleye notably, alongside three other persons, does not in any manner equate a disruption of the party within Ogun central senatorial district alone, talk less of the State at large".

The party stated further, "the affected members have shown a history of inconsistency and their latest voyage is only constant with their antecedent. That they even chose to align with an opposition figure shows that they were never genuine members of the PDP and had all the while been romancing the APC. They benefited from the empowerment initiatives of the party where they got cars, cash gifts and other items; yet they were not satisfied and have gone shopping again".

Continuing, Adeniji said, "the PDP in our state today is very strong and after the repositioning efforts that lasted the whole of 2016, we are now reaping the reward as attested to by the ongoing massive mobilization of new members into the party which has seen over 100 top leaders of opposition parties join us, alongside about 10,000 of their supporters. The last two months precisely have witnessed a huge hole in the camp of the APC as PDP continues to receive their members all over the State in an unprecedented recruitment drive ".

He however said that the party is not perturbed at the departure of six persons when about 100 of their types have joined us. The statement also assured all party faithfuls that the State Executive Committee of the PDP under the leadership of Engr. Adebayo Dayo and ably supported by its leader, Senator Prince Buruji Kashamu, will continue to do its best to serve the interest of all members.

The party was however emphatic that it was misleading and incorrect to say that the PDP structure in Ogun central has collapsed into a Lagos senator's group. The departure of the few misguided politicians has left no gap in the zone. It said, "those people came alone and they also left alone with no supporter. People like Apostle Biodun Sanyaolu, Kola Sorinola, Hon. Semiu Oganla, Dr. Bisola Clark, Asiwaju Damola Adesina and thousands of party members remain intact.

Adeniji concluded that, "We are confident that the party is now strong and well-assured of electoral success in the 2019 elections. Our platform is open to all Ogun state people and we shall continue to maintain discipline, openness, justice, fairness, equity and fair-play in all processes that leads to the next general elections; when the PDP shall reclaim government from the despotic regime of Ibikunle Amosun and return the dignity of our people".

Serving Councillor, Ward Chairman, Ex-Councillors Leaves APC for PDP in Ogun

The Councillor representing ward 5 in Ewekoro local government area of Ogun state, Hon. Olusegun Samson and the serving ward 2 APC chairman in Abeokuta North local government area, Mr. Idowu Obayomi has left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun state.

Hon. Samson, who is presently representing ward 5 in Ewekoro local government area of Ogun state defected along with hundreds of his supporters on Monday, February 13, 2017.

“After several deliberations and consultations, we decided to join the PDP, in other to join our friends and brothers who have gone before us, to revive the political glory of our state, and bring about massive development,” Samson said in his speech.

The ward 2 APC Chairman in Abeokuta North local government area, Mr. Idowu Obayomi and more than 200 of his followers on Monday also defected to the Engineer Bayo Dayo-led Ogun Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Obayomi's defection to the PDP is coming barely 24 hours after the PDP National Chairman, Senator Alimodu Sheriff, Senator Ibrahim Mantu and other prominent National leaders of the party graced the Party's southwest meeting held in Ijebu Igbo on Sunday.

Addressing his supporters, the APC chairman in ward 2 (Abeokuta North LGA) said he defected with more than 200 supporters. He said he was encouraged that the leadership of the PDP was making efforts to rescue the people of Ogun State from hardship.

“The beauty of democracy is the ventilation of ideas and we have found succour in the Senator Buruji Kashamu and Engineer Bayo Dayo-led PDP.

“I can assure you that before the end of November this year, it will be difficult to recognise APC anywhere in Ogun state," he said.

Also, the trio of Hon. Soetan Saheed (Ward 10, Abeokuta South LGA), Hon. Owolabi Yinka (Ward 10, Ewekoro LGA) and Hon. Solola Abiodun (Ward 1, Abeokuta North LGA) who dumped the APC for the PDP on Monday were led into the PDP by their leader, Alhaji Hamod Olatoye.

Speaking on the occasion, Alhaji Hamod said the APC are temporary landlords in Ogun state.

“The APC has created a big burden to local politicians and what we now have in Ogun state APC are temporary landlords and by the special grace of Allah they shall be sent packing in 2019,” Hamod said.

The defectors were welcomed into the PDP fold by the Ogun PDP chairman, Engineer Bayo Dayo and the Ogun state Coordinator of Omoilu Foundation, Otunba (Comrade) Niyi Osoba.

BEING A COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE SOUTH WEST PDP STAKEHOLDERS' MEETING HELD IN IJEBU IGBO, OGUN STATE, TODAY, SUNDAY, 12TH OF FEBRUARY, 2017.

The meeting convened at about 2:00pm with leaders from all states of the South West in attendance.

After exhaustive deliberations, the meeting rose with the following resolutions:

1. The meeting acknowledged the leadership of the party under the Chairmanship of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and all efforts being made to reposition the party.

2. The meeting also resolved that at this crucial time in the history of our nation when the citizens look up to our party for direction, all hands should be on deck to move the party forward.

3. The meeting therefore resolved and mandated our leaders to extend the hands of fellowship to all interest elements within the party in order to reposition the party for task ahead.

4. The meeting unanimously agreed that the South West leadership under the Chairmanship of Chief Maakanjuola Ogundipe should continue to mobilize and consolidate for reconcilation.

5. The meeting recognised the untiring and selfless services of our leader, Senator (Prince) Buruji Kashamu in supporting the party in all material respects, nationally and particularly in the zone.

6. The meeting resolved that the party should reunite at all fronts to be able to wrestle power back from the current government in order to put Nigeria on a too footing once again.

7. The meeting urged all stakeholders to work harmoniously together to ensure success for our party in the forthcoming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States in 2018 to signpost our readiness for total takeover in 2019.

8. The meeting enjoined all party leaders who had or are currently enjoying the goodwill of the party to recognise the laws and constitutional provisions of our party in order to make our party truly democratic.

9. The meeting prayed for the good health of President Muhammadu Buhari in order to continue the anti corruption crusade without bias.

Signed this 12th day of February, 2017 by the following:

Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe- National Vice Chairman (SW).

Chief Pegba Otemolu- Zonal Secretary

Chief Ajayi Williams
State Chairman, Ekiti State

Otunba Segun Adewale
State Chairman, Lagos State

Engr. Adebayo Dayo
State Chairman, Ogun State.

Prince Biyi Poroye
State Chairman, Ondo State

Hon. Soji Adagunodo
State Chairman, Osun State

Hon. Yinka Taiwo
State Chairman, Oyo State

South-West PDP youth leaders urge FG to follow due process in Kashamu’s case

From Hameed Oyegbade, Osogbo

The youth leaders of the People’s Democratic Party in the South-West states have called on the Federal Government to adhere strictly to due process in handling the allegation of involvement in drug related offences in the United States that was levelled against the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Senator Buruji Kashamu.  

The youth leaders of PDP from Osun, Lagos, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo and Oyo states, Comrade Bamidele Seyi, Comrade Yinka Sotade, Honourable Segun Aboko, Hononurable Femi Alao, Honourable Obafemi Olajide and Honourable Idowu Taiwo resolved to lend their voices to the matter because of indication that the Senator might be persecuted with the manner the matter was being twisted. 

According to a press statement issued by the youth leaders of the South-West state chapters of PDP which was made available to journalists in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, today, they appealed to the Federal Government to caution the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Department of State Service (DSS) to follow the due process in Kashamu’s matter.  

The PDP youth leaders said “If there are allegations against Kashamu, he should be allowed to defend himself and that the trial should follow due process. We oppose the plot to extradite the senator to the US to face trial where they wanted to nail him over offences he did not commit.”

“We expect the Nigerian government and its agencies to follow the global practice in handling this kind of matter. We urge our government at the centre to discourage its agencies from collaborating with mischief makers who wanted to indict Senator Kashamu.”

The PDP youth also appealed to the media to remain objective reporting Kashamu’s case so as not to misinform the public on the true situation about the matter. They called on the Nigerian Bar Association to advice government and its justice dispensation bodies on the proper way to handle the situation.

The PDP youth vowed to mobilise social political groups, students’ union bodies and youth groups in the South-West to stage massive protest if the federal government and its agencies attempt to extradite Kashamu to the US unjustly.

They noted that Kashamu has invested hugely on youth empowerment in the South West and should be appreciated rather than extradited.

“Senator Kashamu’s has made huge investment in various youth empowerment schemes which have assisted many youths to become entrepreneurs through different trainings, local and foreign sponsorship for education. He has also given medical aid to many people, assisted many widows and the aged.

According to the statement, “We have decided at our level firstly as PDP Youth and secondly as responsible leaders of tomorrow to break our silence on the unrepentant ill-use of the media for gross misinformation of the Nigerian populace about Senator Kashamu Buruji who has proven by all standards to be a law abiding and responsible citizen of Nigeria

“It is imperative to remind ourselves and the people of this great nation that Nigeria is not a banana Republic; we are a sovereign State and we have own laws and as such we are not as a nation at the mercy of the manipulation by any other country.

“We wish to unequivocally condemn the witch-hunting of Senator Buruji Kashamu by faceless and intellectually weak political bigots and their collaborators within the system who have together made several attempts at undermining our local legal system and the rule of law.

“We make bold to assert that the obvious reasons for the several unfounded and intellectually dislocated allegations and propaganda is the 2019 Elections; more so because of the innumerable philanthropic strides of the legislator which has become a threat to politicians who for all their public leadership life and experience have feasted on the woes and peril of the citizenry

“It is noteworthy to state that Senator Kashamu has become the only succour to the youths in South/Western Nigeria. This without any doubt has made a lot of downtrodden to agree that there is a possibility of achieving good leadership in our zone again.

“We therefor call on the Federal Government to safeguard our national integrity and image by looking into the matter of Senator Kashamu with sincerity and discourage the sinister agenda of some faceless politicians who are raising false allegation against Senator Kashamu”, the PDP youth leaders said.

Report that Exonerated Prince Kashamu from the purported drug offence in USA

Setting the record straight;

The report stated, insofar as is material, that on 8 February 1999, Fillmore viewed a photo lineup for the purpose of identifying Kashamu. The meeting was held in the US Attorney 's office.

An officer of the attorney had received a copy of an arrest photograph of Kashamu from another officer. The report continues that the officer:

" Took the copy of the arrest photograph of Kashamu and placed in the DEA form 470, photo identification folder, with seven photographs of black males.

These black males had similar facial hair and were the approximate age of Kashamu. This photo line up was shown to Fillmore. Fillmore provided the following statements: 'it is not jumping out at me., I know what the man looks like.' Fillmore further stated that photograph 03 looked like a bad photograph of him. Photos 2, 4, 6,7 and 8 did not look like him at all. Fillmore stated that 05 looked a lot like him but did not look like him. Fillmore ruled out photograph 01. Fillmore stated that 05 looked the closest to Alhaji"

That is the name which Fillmore knew his co-conspirator.

"The arrest photograph of Kashamu was placed in position 07 of the photo lineup. "
And the case was thrown out.

Back home in Nigeria, there are several other court judgements that also exonerated Prince Kashamu.

It stand against logic and laughable when supposed knowledgeable set of people begin to think their continuous wailing on social media platforms can overrule decision of competent courts of jurisdiction.

When you have a good case in your hand, you stand a good chance of coming out victorious from the courtroom.

The jury in UK have spoken; Kashamu has no case to answer.

The judges in Nigeria have spoken; Kashamu has no case to answer.

The US judgement can't overrule that of UK and Nigeria. Nigeria is a sovereign state and not a Banana Republic where anything goes.

I rise.

Extradition: SANs Tackle US, NDLEA Over Kashamu




Posted on Feb 1 2017 - 2:59am by Wale Elegbede





Three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Lateef Fagbemi, Alex Izinyon and Akin Olujimi, yesterday described as illegal any attempt to extradite Senator Buruji Kashamu to the United States of America. Fagbemi, Izinyon and Olujimi, in a joint statement, said the United States and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) would be overstepping their bounds by attempting to extradite the senator.

The SANs said: “The US did not appeal against any of the two UK judgments in favour of our client.

The judgments therefore, remain binding against the US and Nigeria forever. Rather than appeal against those judgments, what the US did next was to latch on to the conducive atmosphere in Nigeria brewed by the political enemies of our client, who even though aware that the US had lost out twice in UK courts against our client, mounted unholy pressure on the former Attorney General to commence extradition proceedings against our client.

He was therefore forced to approach the courts in Nigeria for redress.

Just as the English courts had ruled in his favour, four different courts in four different suits in Lagos and Abuja found in favour of the Senator.
Notwithstanding the various subsisting decisions referred to above given by English and Nigerian courts all outlawing the extradition of our client, the NDLEA is, in clear disobedience of the various judgments, still plotting clandestinely with other security agencies at the behest of US agents to forcibly abduct our client and smuggle him to the US.”

The legal practitioners noted further that: “Our client’s US lawyers had filed the suit under a law of the United States which the District court in the US held did not create a private right of action. Our client’s US solicitors appealed against the decision of the District Court in 2016.

It was that appeal that the US Court of Appeals pronounced upon on 23rd January, 2017 by affirming the decision of the District Court which held that the statute ‘did not create a private right of action’. In other words, it is not open to any individual to predicate a suit on the statute.

Clearly, that was not a decision on the merit of the issues submitted to the court.
We are in agreement with the court that mere presence of a US employee during an arrest by local officials in a foreign land and even assisting the local officials in an arrest will not amount to attempted abduction.

What was not put before the US court of appeals for determination and which the court did not decide is a situation where the local courts in the foreign land had given express orders prohibiting arrest, abduction and/or detention, as done by the Federal High Court in its judgments prohibiting the NDLEA and other security operatives from arresting or removing and exporting our client to the US.”

MUCH ADO ABOUT A NONEXISTENT EXTRADICTION.

Politics is the most vicious and complicated human business. It is more so because the resulting powers it confers intoxicating and far-reaching in effects. It takes interesting dimensions of the ridiculous & absurdities in poverty economies like ours, where political power is law on itself!!! The rights of the pple to freely aspire in a democracy without qualifying prerequisites complicates issues when misfits cut corners and labour to achieve their utopian wishes in desperation. Such scenery can be frustrating and painfully annoying but it's the price we have to contend with in a democracy. In truth, we know the brains behind the satanic political clamour for the unjust and unjustifiable extradition that NO law world over can sustain except resort to illegal and ungodly abduction which shall continue to fail by God's grace. .

On the adherence to rule of law, we shall continue to request and align. That being so, the SPBK position on the purpoted US indictment is impressive and commendable fight for one's fundamental rights as human being. It's the more glorifying coming from a 3rd world country citizen!!! It takes the deep to call to the deep thus it requires being conversant with international realities to appreciate the vissitudes of winning a court case in Europe or America by a black African. The rantings and wishful antics of local clowns acting as political adversaries of SPBK over a senseless extradition call should thus be viewed with sympathy for the ignorant compounded by inordinate lust for undeserved political office and power.

Aside the multiple SPBK judicial victories, internationally and locally, the question begging for answer is the interests of Ogun politicians in the illegal and callous treatment of their citizen It's sacrosanct that a dismissed extradition case which has been previously lost twice by the US in UK which is undoubtedly the universal closest ally to them, brings Nigeria to world ridicule if entertained without due process, importantly when all SPBK is requesting is equity and justice.

The inheritors of this shameful callous clamour should remember the woeful failure and colossal public resources wastes incurred by once upon a time Ogun state govt on same matter. It is expected that they realign their futile efforts towards their utopian political dream and stop heating the polity. They are the same pple reporting a nonexistent meeting between SPBK and APC high leadership over an imaginary dumping of the PDP. All these put together confirms that SPBK is the main issue politically in today's Ogun state. It's better they face the reality rather these misfortune seeking route they're indulging in now for close to a decade, in and out of government. The political movement of SPBK and his allies are divinely secured and of growing dominant relevance that can't be wished away. Our strength lies with the Almighty God.

Kashamu’s Endless Extradition Battle


While the planned extradition of Senator Buruji Kashamu to the United States to face trial for an alleged drug-related crime has become a recurring decimal, Davidson Iriekpen wonders why the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency which went to the United Kingdom in 2002 to testify in his favour is suddenly capitulating


On many occasions, he has produced records to show that even the NDLEA, which is now turning around to pursue his extradition, once went to the United Kingdom in 2002 to testify in his favour of Kashamu. He said even in 2013, the agency deposed to an affidavit that Buruji was not the same Kashamu that was indicted by a US court. So what has changed? Why is the same agency making a U-turn?


Just when Buruji Kashamu, the senator representing Ogun East senatorial district was beginning to think that respite had come his way over his planned extradition to the United States for trial on alleged drug-related crime, the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) last week revealed that plans were ongoing to push his arrest. The agency had predicated its decision on the latest ruling of a US court, which ruled that the senator must face trial on drug-related charges.

It stated that it would ensure that the orders stopping the arrest of the senator were vacated in a bid to pave the way for his extradition, noting that it would not undermine the extradition agreement that Nigeria had with the US with respect to the case involving Kashamu.


Trouble started for Kashamu, a businessman, when he maneuvered his way to become a prominent figure in the PDP and soon hijacked the party structure from those he met there, starting with Ogun State, from where he moved to the South-west geo-political zone.


This did not go down well with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who promptly wrote an 18-page letter to the then President Goodluck Jonathan in December 2013. Obasanjo, in his letter, rejected Kashamu as the leader of the PDP in zone, alleging that he (Kashamu) is wanted in the US for drug-related offences.

However, Kashamu denied the allegation, saying Obasanjo was not happy that he was chosen as the PDP leader in the South-west. Since then, the senator has remained embattled, constantly sleeping with one of his eyes opened. He later contested and won election to represent Ogun East in the Senate. This even infuriated those who wanted him extradited to the US the more.


A few months to his inauguration as senator, Kashamu, still afraid that he could be abducted, filed a suit before a Federal High Court in Lagos accusing Obasanjo of working in concert with others to mastermind his arrest during his swearing-in. He alleged in the suit that the former president had concluded plans for him to be transported to the US in a private plane to face trial.


Kashamu stated that Obasanjo was desperate to deny him the opportunity of enjoying the mandate freely given to him to represent the people of Ogun East in the Senate. In his fundamental human rights enforcement suit against the Chairman, National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and 11 others, he prayed the court for an order to stop the alleged plot to extradite him to the US.

He also asked for a declaration of the court that the move to abduct and forcibly transport him to the US amounted to a violation of his right to liberty, freedom of association and freedom of movement as protected by Sections 35, 40 and 41 of the Constitution.


While the suit was pending, the NDLEA in May 2015 attempted to arrest him. Kashamu again, sued the NDLEA, Attorney-General of the Federation and others before Justice Abang, seeking to restrain them from arresting and extraditing him. The judge heard the case on May 8, 2015, during which the NDLEA, AGF and other defendants denied making any move to arrest him and urged Justice Abang to dismiss the suit for being speculative and showing no reasonable cause of action.

After hearing the case on May 8, Justice Abang reserved his judgment till May 27, 2015. But between May 23 and 25, 2015, operatives of the NDLEA laid siege at Kashamu’s house in Lekki, Lagos, wanting to arrest him, for the purpose of extraditing him. He, however, locked himself in and refused to turn himself over for arrest.


The senator later commenced contempt proceedings against the NDLEA, AGF and others before Justice Buba, alleging that the move to arrest him would be prejudicial to Justice Abang’s judgment, which was reserved for May 27, 2015. Justice Buba agreed with Kashamu’s lawyer, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), and ordered the NDLEA operatives to vacate Kashamu’s house.


Justice Abang later delivered his judgment on May 27, 2015, barring the NDLEA, AGF and others from arresting and extraditing Kashamu. The judgment was later affirmed on June 8, 2015 by Justice Buba, who held that Kashamu could not be extradited unless Justice Okon Abang’s judgment was set aside by the Court of Appeal.

To the surprise of everybody, in his last few days in office, precisely on May 28, 2015, the then Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) initiated an action marked No. FHC/ABJ/ CS/479/2015, before Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court in Abuja and sought a warrant for Kashamu’s arrest. His action, according to him, was based on an affidavit deposed to by Assistant US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Diane MacArthur, attached to the extradition request from the US government, dated April 27, 2015.


But in his judgment on July 1, 2015, Justice Kolawole said he was unable to grant the AGF’s request because of the two earlier judgments of Justices Abang and Buba, which had barred the federal government from extraditing Kashamu.

He said: “In conclusion, I am unable to exercise my jurisdiction pursuant to sections 6, 7 and 8 of the Extradition Act Cap E25 to accede to the application to issue a warrant to effect the arrest of the respondent for the reason, which I have analysed in this ruling, because the orders made by Justices Abang and Buba of the Federal High Court, sitting in the Lagos Judicial Division, have not been appealed against by the applicant or have been set aside by the appellate court.”

While all these were going on, Kashamu has consistently maintained his innocence, accusing his political foes for his travails. He also accused them of twisting the ruling of the US court over his extradition trial. The senator said the case brought against him by the US government had been laid to rest by two British courts 14 years ago, and three Nigerian courts in 2015, all of which he said were not appealed.


He added that all the US could do was to “abduct” him, claiming that no extradition proceedings could be lawfully commenced against him. He claimed that he was mistaken for his younger brother, Adewale Kashamu, and was 14 years ago erroneously prosecuted by the US government in two English courts before he was exonerated.


On many occasions, he has produced records to show that even the NDLEA, which is now turning around to pursue his extradition, once went to the United Kingdom in 2002 to testify in his favour of Kashamu. He said even in 2013, the agency deposed to an affidavit that Buruji was not the same Kashamu that was indicted by a US court. So what has changed? Why is the same agency making a U-turn?

Tracing the genesis of the saga, Kashamu said while on a business trip to the UK in 1998, he was arrested at City Airport in London and detained, pursuant to an arrest warrant issued on the basis of an indictment in the US in which the name Alaji had been introduced as a party to an alleged offence of importation of narcotics. He denied ever visiting or residing in the US, as well as being involved in any business not to talk of a criminal activity whatsoever in the US.

Kashanu disclosed that his lawyers discovered some exculpatory evidence, which the US government had concealed from the courts in the extradition proceedings. The evidence, he said, was the outcome of a photo identification parade for the purpose of identifying the Alaji held in the US Attorney’s office.


“They had taken a mug shot of me and placed it with seven other photographs of black males who had facial hair that was similar to mine and were about my age too. After viewing the photo line-up, Fillmore, one of the accused, said the third photograph in the line-up looked like a bad photograph of the man they were looking for.


“He also declared that the second, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth photographs did not at all look like the said Alaji. My mug shot was the seventh in the line-up. That was one of the photographs that Fillmore said did not at all look like the wanted kingpin. So, my lawyers immediately commenced a Habeas Corpus (a recourse in law whereby a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment before a court) application in the High Court of Justice, Queens Bench Division, for my release and the vacation of the committal order made by the Court. The English High Court in its judgment delivered on October 6, 2000, agreed that the order for my committal was null and void, having been the product of unfair proceedings in which the US government had suppressed exculpatory evidence,” he said.

Kashamu said the US authorities did not appeal the decision but re-arrested him and commenced a second extradition proceeding at the Bow Street Magistrate Court in England before District Judge Tim Workman. He said the US authorities produced several documents to refute the position that it was a case of mistaken identity and the person sought was his brother, Adewale Kashamu, including documents from the NDLEA which sought to establish that my brother Adewale had died in the 1980s.


Penultimate week, he issued another statement titled: ‘US court ruling: I have no case to answer,’ claiming that he has never been to US in his life. He said he was not the offender wanted in the US, but his younger brother, Adewale Kashamu, who is now late.


According to him, "My brother was living in Chicago, I sent to school. He's very well educated. He was the one having girlfriends there; he was the one who caused a lot of problems. Even when I was in London, they still traced almost $2million into his bank account while I was in prison. They still continued doing the transaction. If you go through the last British judgment, it is there.


"The Interpol people were the ones who went to the bank and got all the information, and carried all the documents, they came to London and gave evidence in court. The Beninoise Interpol produced evidence showing that the Benin telephone number, through which the US offenders communicated with their West African collaborators, belonged to my brother, Adewale Kashamu, and not me, Buruji Kashamu.


"When they were looking for him, the NDLEA people went to his house here, they searched his house. They went to his car company, they sealed his car company and they took over 30 vehicles from there. He ran away. He was using the office of Remi Adiukwu Oluwalogbon on Allen Avenue. For three good years, he did not pay Remi Adiukwu. The NDLEA people sealed the car company and they confirmed this in one of their letters."


His explanations justified why many are wondering if the NDLEA actually went to London to testify in favour kashamu, why it has not maintained that position and what went wrong. They actually wondered why it has refused to exhaust all the legal options before thinking of extraditing the senator rather than resorting to illegality.


"Since Kashamu has defeated them at the High Court, they should appeal. If they succeed at the Court of Appeal, I know Kashamu will definitely appeal to the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court says he should be taking to US, then they can extradite him. For now whatever they are planning to do is illegal. Even in the US, there is process for extradition, which must be exhausted in court, "says Samson Adeyemi, a lawyer.

Senator Buruji Kashamu represents Ogun East Senatorial District in the National Assembly. He speaks in this exclusive interview on the recent move for his extradition to the United States over alleged drug related offences and the state of the nation, among other issues in this interview with WALE ELEGBEDE

There was a report that quoted you as saying that you will move around with 40 Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) members to prevent any form of extradition over an alleged drug related offence in the United States….

How would I move around with OPC members? What is my business with OPC? About nine newspapers reported the fact I don’t know the problem I have with that particular newspaper. But I believe that everything is in the hands of God and what will be will be. I spoke with some journalists last week and that particular newspaper was represented.

After our chats, we were on the sidelines and we spoke off record and I jokingly said if the insecurity in the nation continues, everyone may have to defend themselves by resorting to private security like the OPC. I said if anyone wants to kidnap another person, then there will be chaos because people will be killing each other because each person has his own private security.

So, how can you turn around and twist my words for the sake of selling your newspaper? All of my life, I have never been involved in violence or any form of hostility, either in or outside of politics. I have never used violence as a tool in either my private or public life. So, why would anyone give me a name that I done bear?

I am a very good-humored person and I joke with both old and young. But if we discuss in that direction that I narrated and you decided to use it against me, I don’t have the power to do anything against you but the Almighty God is the judge of all. But let me put it on record that the report on hiring of 40 OPC members and death of three to four people is not correct; i t ’ s false and totally wrong.

The NDLEA said it is in court to obtain an extradition order on you to the United States…

The NDLEA does not have the power under the law to extradite anybody; it is the Attorney General of the Federation that has the power to do so. What the NDLEA is saying is that if they exhaust all legal processes, they can push for extradition. But its spokesman was wrong in even saying that because the agency not even supposed to entertain the extradition. In the first place, I don’t even have any extradition case to answer.

 

If the courts in United Kingdom and Nigeria have exonerated me, then what is the agency talking about? It is supposed to defend the law of our country through the rulings of the court.

If it can’t do that, what is it doing there then. This same NDLEA participated in the s a m e case where I was exonerated i n   London, it gave evidence in London in my favour, and it sent one of their staff to London as witness. In another suit in Lagos, I took them to court. When I came, NDLEA was there and it swore to an affidavit in the court saying I was not involved in drug and that the United States was not looking for me.

So, how can it now turn around and start saying the opposite. This same NDLEA is aware that there is a treaty between Nigeria, Unites States and the United Kingdom.

A part of the treaty says you cannot extradite someone who is not a fugitive. Of course, I am not a fugitive, I’ve never been to the United States in my life and I have never run away from this case. You’ve arrested me, I faced the case and won. You came here, you wanted to abduct me, the case went to court, I defeated you.

So, I am not a fugitive, I don’t fall in that category. Also, the treaty said among the three countries where the treaty is binding, if you have arrested anyone whereby the person has been sentenced, exonerated or discharged of any similar case, you cannot bring an extradition case against that person in any of the remaining two countries. In my own case, I was exonerated in the United Kingdom, which is part of the countries that the treaty is binding.

After I was discharged and exonerated of the case in the UK, I returned to Nigeria and I was doing my businesses. But when I joined politics, then you came to arrange to abduct me and this is a country that supposedly have rule of law. It is beyond bewilderment. So, that is why I have been saying it that I don’t have any case to answer.

But the NDLEA said you have a case to answer, owing to the recent ruling of a US court?

The undisputable fact is that a judgment of an American court cannot supersede the judgments of the British and Nigerian courts. It should be noted that it is the British that colonised Nigeria and we adopted their legal s y s – tem.

Therefore, if the British courts gave two judgments which have not been appealed till date (14-years after) and the same have been affirmed by several Nigerian courts, how then can anyone say that the recent US court ruling, which arose from a suit I filed against my abduction, is superior or has overriding effect on the previous and subsisting judgments of the British and Nigerian courts?

I faced extradition proceedings in the United Kingdom at the behest of the United States government and after four rigorous years of trial, the British courts found that it was a case of mistaken identity and released me.

How many times will I face extradition proceedings over the same offence? If the United Kingdom did not find me guilty, should I be a sacrifice on the altar of political expediency in order to be seen as being more Catholic than the Pope?

In effect, the US Courts acknowledged that I was arrested and tried twice in London at the US Government’s request, and that the US Justice Department lawyers worked closely with their English counterparts. In effect, the British government cooperated with the US government on both occasions as if it was the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Yet, at the end of the day, I was exonerated because it was found that it was a case of mistaken identity. I have had more than enough distractions since this needless harassment began. Therefore, any attempt to condone or allow abduction in the guise of an extradition is an illegality and affront on our sovereignty, the rule of law, international and municipal laws.

Why do you think your foray into politics necessitated the resurgence of this case?

You see, when you are good and generous, when you have genuine interest in the plight of the poor and you empower them, some people don’t like that and they are not comfortable with it, so they look for means of stopping you by all means, but the Almighty is the custodian of power and in Him I put my trust. Some politicians believe I am too powerful, popular and influential. There is no way you will be in politics, especially at my level and not step on toes.

So, all those intimidated by the unsolicited influence and popularity which naturally comes because of ones generosity to people, are always trying to use things against me. They want my enemy to die, they desire terrible thing for the enemy of Kashamu not me, but I thank God for always keeping and protecting me, regardless of the machinations of enemies. That is why I stay focus on what I am doing for the people regardless of the distractions that come my way.

Who are these forces that you are referring to? They are many and they are everywhere. They are in Ogun State, they are everywhere. I do know that the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose is one of them.

But Fayose is a known ally of yours.

That was then, what about now?

What went wrong between you?

I don’t know but he talks too much. He hurls insults at government and leaders. Instead of him to go and fight for the interest of Yoruba, he is after his own interest.

Some people have averred that the reason this extradition issue has been recurring around you is because you are gradually turning to be a Yoruba leader, owing to your virile political structures around the zone….

I am not the Yoruba leader but I am one of the many leaders in the zone. How can I call myself Yoruba leader when I have many superior leaders ahead of me? We have many leaders like Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Chief Bode George and many others who are my fathers.

I cannot stand in front of them and be telling them that I am a leader, it is not possible because I am their son. I can be one tagged as one of those who want to promote the Yoruba race but not as the leader of Yoruba. I could be counted as one of the voices fighting for the wellbeing of Yoruba. For example, can Chief Bode George be talking and I will also raise my voice? It is impossible because if he is talking, I will be quiet. If Alhaji Kola Balogun, Chief Ebenezer Babatope are talking, I will be quiet.

So there are many elders in the South-West but it’s possible that they don’t have that force like before and that may push people to start seeing that leadership in some of us. But the truth is that we all came out of them because they are more experienced than us, we may need to back them up continuously to ensure that they still stand as the figure of the Yoruba people that will be able to fight for the good of Yoruba.

This is part of what Fayose should be doing, but he but prefers to be fighting all and sundry except those who tied themselves to the strings of his mischievous interest. He should be supporting these elders for them to raise a voice for our people but he wants to silence their voices and sink the experiences of these men in order for him to climb up, that is the truth of the matter.

Do you foresee any genuine reconciliation in the PDP?

That depends on the Almighty Allah and our leaders. If our leaders want PDP to be united, they will put their house in order and tell the two leaders – Senators Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu Sheriff – to step down. And this will make the leaders to appoint fresh set of people to manage the affairs of the party.

So, if anyone refuses to step down between the two, then we will know that such a person does not have the interest of the party at heart.

But when you are appealing to one side to step down for the other while you are the one who went to bring that person to head the party, that person will see himself as being used for a certain interest. The sacrifice for the oneness of the party must be from both sides and not one.

How can the crisis and factionalisation in Ogun State PDP be resolved?

If it is in politics, interests and factions are normal occurrence, and not limited to Ogun PDP. But so far, we are still in the same party, we are still the same because when elections come we can close ranks. It is normal to say factions exist in a political party but what is not normal is the inability of the various factions to come together and bury their differences for the sake of the party.

Why are you supporting President Buhari’s administration despite the fact that you are an elected a Senator on the platform of the PDP?

If I should say anything now about the Buhari-led administration people can easily read another meaning into it. I know not a few will jump into the conclusion that I am now pouring encomium on the president because of the issue I am having. But the truth is that I don’t have any issue or problem. I am not afraid of any extradition plot because I know that I don’t have anything to do with it.

Prior to this period, everybody knows my stand on this administration. I am a focused and honest man; I come out straight on my beliefs. The truth is that many people don’t understand what is happening to this administration. For instance, there are those who believe that stomach infrastructure is their problem and they opine that once that is solved, the problem of Nigeria is over. But that is not true.

For the sake of argument, let us assume that one did not eat in a day, we cannot then conclude that that is how it will be forever. I believe that when we need to pay the price to build our future, we must do so irrespective of how painful it may be today; it will be for the prosperity of tomorrow.

The truth of the matter is that we were praying to God to give us a leader that would rescue us in 2015 and I believe God loves Nigeria and that is why. He gave Buhari to perform as president.

The problem is that we want President Buhari to do a miracle over what he met on ground, but things are not done that way. What we are seeing is an accumulation of neglects, corruption and inaction by successive governments but we all want him to turn everything around overnight. Can you imagine the billions we are hearing that people stole from government coffers before Buhari took over?

If we put all these stolen monies together, are they not enough to salvage our country? Don’t forget when Baba Obasanjo was leaving office we had more than $40 billion in foreign reserves and same for the late Yar’adua. And when Jonathan came, the crude oil price was up and we had opportunity then to raise our reserve to more than $100 billion, but they scattered everything. Then God raised someone who is not corrupt, who doesn’t carry Ghana Must Go bag.

How many people go to Aso Rock Villa now? This president doesn’t know anything called corruption; his antecedent speaks volume of this. Let us be realistic, Buhari is an honest person but it appears we don’t know what we want. We must be patient. As a senator, I can see from vantage position and there are many things that one can’t say in public.

Let us forget about our party line and look at how we can bring good things to the country. The more we continue to criticize and haul down our leaders, the longer it takes for us to develop this country. We must not pull down the roof because we lost an election. We must move forward and not retrogress.

What has the experience been like in the Senate?

Can I tell you something, being a businessman and being able to take another direction, its another experience that I am still mastering. I can tell you that each passing day, the experience is unique and I am getting better each other.

I have some bills already but I still know that I need more experiences, the much we have done are a product of our fast learning process. But believe me, every minute spent in the National Assembly is worth the sacrifice.

Scores of APC, ANPP members decamp to PDP in Ogun

Scores of supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) in Imeko Afon, Yewa North, Ifo, Ijebu North East, Yewa South and Ado Odo-Ota local government areas in Ogun State, on Saturday, defected to the Engineer Bayo Dayo- led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The APC defectors were led by their leader, a chieftain of the APC in Ifo local government area, Mr. Banjo Adedokun.

They officially dumped their old parties at the a reception organised by Engineer Bayo Dayo led PDP in Ijebu Igbo on Saturday.

They were received by the Ogun PDP Chairman, Engineer Bayo Dayo, the Ogun State Coordinator of Omoilu Foundation, Otunba (Comrade Niyi Osoba) among others.

Adedokun lamented the total neglect of Ifo local government and other local government areas by the APC administration in terms of roads and other social amenities.

He stressed that they have decided to join the PDP and they are hopeful that a PDP adminstration will never neglect the People of Ogun State.

Adedokun, promised to deliver Ifo local government area to PDP come 2019.

Engineer Bayo Dayo who spoke at the event promised an all inclusive government if PDP wins the 2019 governorship elections.

He thanked the defectors for their support and equally urged them to beware of the antics of desperadoes who are deceiving people around that PDP is dead in Ogun State.

Bayo insisted that PDP remains intact in the State and it is mentally, intellectually and physically ready to end the age-long underdevelopment that had immured the state in the last five years.

Report that Exonerated Prince Kashamu from the purported drug offence in USA

Setting the record straight;

The report stated, insofar as is material, that on 8 February 1999, Fillmore viewed a photo lineup for the purpose of identifying Kashamu. The meeting was held in the US Attorney 's office.

An officer of the attorney had received a copy of an arrest photograph of Kashamu from another officer. The report continues that the officer:

" Took the copy of the arrest photograph of Kashamu and placed in the DEA form 470, photo identification folder, with seven photographs of black males.

These black males had similar facial hair and were the approximate age of Kashamu. This photo line up was shown to Fillmore. Fillmore provided the following statements: 'it is not jumping out at me., I know what the man looks like.' Fillmore further stated that photograph 03 looked like a bad photograph of him. Photos 2, 4, 6,7 and 8 did not look like him at all. Fillmore stated that 05 looked a lot like him but did not look like him. Fillmore ruled out photograph 01. Fillmore stated that 05 looked the closest to Alhaji"

That is the name which Fillmore knew his co-conspirator.

"The arrest photograph of Kashamu was placed in position 07 of the photo lineup. "
And the case was thrown out.

Back home in Nigeria, there are several other court judgements that also exonerated Prince Kashamu.

It stand against logic and laughable when supposed knowledgeable set of people begin to think their continuous wailing on social media platforms can overrule decision of competent courts of jurisdiction.

When you have a good case in your hand, you stand a good chance of coming out victorious from the courtroom.

The jury in UK have spoken; Kashamu has no case to answer.

The judges in Nigeria have spoken; Kashamu has no case to answer.

The US judgement can't overrule that of UK and Nigeria. Nigeria is a sovereign state and not a Banana Republic where anything goes.

Report that Exonerated Prince Kashamu from the purported drug offence in USA

Setting the record straight;

The report stated, insofar as is material, that on 8 February 1999, Fillmore viewed a photo lineup for the purpose of identifying Kashamu. The meeting was held in the US Attorney 's office.

An officer of the attorney had received a copy of an arrest photograph of Kashamu from another officer. The report continues that the officer:

" Took the copy of the arrest photograph of Kashamu and placed in the DEA form 470, photo identification folder, with seven photographs of black males.

These black males had similar facial hair and were the approximate age of Kashamu. This photo line up was shown to Fillmore. Fillmore provided the following statements: 'it is not jumping out at me., I know what the man looks like.' Fillmore further stated that photograph 03 looked like a bad photograph of him. Photos 2, 4, 6,7 and 8 did not look like him at all. Fillmore stated that 05 looked a lot like him but did not look like him. Fillmore ruled out photograph 01. Fillmore stated that 05 looked the closest to Alhaji"

That is the name which Fillmore knew his co-conspirator.

"The arrest photograph of Kashamu was placed in position 07 of the photo lineup. "
And the case was thrown out.

Back home in Nigeria, there are several other court judgements that also exonerated Prince Kashamu.

It stand against logic and laughable when supposed knowledgeable set of people begin to think their continuous wailing on social media platforms can overrule decision of competent courts of jurisdiction.

When you have a good case in your hand, you stand a good chance of coming out victorious from the courtroom.

The jury in UK have spoken; Kashamu has no case to answer.

The judges in Nigeria have spoken; Kashamu has no case to answer.

The US judgement can't overrule that of UK and Nigeria. Nigeria is a sovereign state and not a Banana Republic where anything goes.

RE: US COURT RULES AGAINST SENATOR KASHAMU

The sensationalisation of the ruling of the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit per Posner J. is but another chapter in the misinformation and deliberate falsification of facts.

This action was not brought against Senator Buruji Kashamu. It was initiated by him in 2015 before the attempted abduction saga occurred and was already pending in the District Court in Northern Illinois seeking to enforce the provisions of the Mansfield Act (a United States Law which forbids US law enforcement agents from carrying out law enforcement activities outside US territory).

At the time this action was commenced, all the Senator had was information that an abduction was being planned against him. Few months later that information was confirmed   when a battalion of armed and masked National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) officials attacked, sacked and laid siege to his home for six days until they were forced to leave his premises by court order.

The US action continued thereafter on the evidence that showed that some US agents had indeed directed the operation against Senator Kashamu.

The judgment of the District Court not deal with the legality or otherwise of the act of those US agents but stopped at the threshold of consideration of the question whether the Mansfield Act could be the basis for complaint by an individual alleging illegal law enforcement activities in violation of that Act.

The District Court’s answer to that question was that the Mansfield Act did not give an individual any cause of action but could only be enforced by a government or state.

It is from that ruling that Senator Kashamu appealed to the Seventh Circuit whereupon the Seventh Circuit rejected the appeal.

In the belated opinion given again by Justice Posner, as he had done twice before, he exceeded the scope of the questions placed before the court and made remarks that have no basis in the record before him but which appears to emanate from his own prejudices.

The media probably needs a stimulant to sustain their audience now that the drama of the US election is abating. But they should be careful to be accurate in their reporting in order not to transcend the bounds of decency and legality as we have seen in the reaction of some overzealous Nigerian journalists.

It is disturbing that the media has ignored the implication of the US Seventh Circuit’s pronouncement concerning the capacity of the US government to carry out police operations in foreign territory in breach of International Law and the municipal law of the victim state; as was exhibited in the unlawful attempt to abduct a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Who knows who will be next?

The Nigerian courts have unequivocally declared that rendition is illegal and have proscribed such activity against Senator Kashamu in Nigerian territory.

Signed

Prince Ajibola Oluyede

Counsel to Senator Buruji Kashamu

THE BACKGROUND
On a business trip to the United Kingdom in 1998 in pursuit of my cotton trading business in Liverpool, I was arrested at City Airport in London and detained pursuant to an arrest warrant issued on the basis of an indictment in the United States (U.S.) in which the name “Alaji” had been introduced as a party to an alleged offence of importation of narcotics into the United States by the U.S authorities. I have never visited or resided in the U.S and certainly have never been involved in any business not to talk of a criminal activity whatsoever in the US. Although, I declared from the moment of arrest that I was not the person involved in the alleged narcotics business and that it was a case of mistaken identity, the British courts made an order for my committal pending my extradition to the U.S. Fortunately, my lawyers came across some exculpatory evidence, which the US government had concealed from the courts in the extradition proceedings. The evidence was the outcome of a photo identification parade for the purpose of Identifying the said “Alaji”, that was held in the US Attorney’s office. They had taken a mug shot of me and placed it with seven other photographs of black males who had facial hair that was similar to mine and were about my age too. After viewing the photo lineup, Fillmore, one of the accused, said that the 3rd photograph in the lineup looked like a bad photograph of the man they were looking for. He also declared that the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th photographs did not at all look like the said ÄLaji”; my mug shot was the 7th in the lineup; that was one of the photographs that Fillmore said did not at all look like the wanted kingpin.

“What has now emerged, with a letter from the United States’ Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, is a report of an investigation into the case against the applicant conducted on 9 February 1999. The report stated insofar as material, that on 8 February 1999, Fillmore viewed a photo lineup for the purpose of identifying Kashamu. The meeting was held in the US Attorney’s office. An officer of the Attorney had received a copy of an arrest photograph of Kashamu from another officer. The report continues that the officer ‘…took the copy of the arrest photograph and placed in a DEA form 470, photo identification folder, with seven photographs of black males. These black males had similar facial hair and were the approximate age of Kashamu. This photo lineup was shown to Fillmore. Fillmore provided the following statements: ‘it is not jumping out at me, I know what the man looks like.’ Fillmore further stated that photograph #03 looked like a bad photograph of him. Photos #02, #04, #06, #07 and #08 did not look like him at all. Fillmore stated that #05 looked a lot like him but did not look like him. Fillmore ruled out photograph #01. Fillmore stated that #05 looked the closest like Alaji.’ That is the name by which Fillmore knew his co-conspirator. ‘The arrest photograph of Kashamu was placed in position #07 of the photo lineup.’ I add by way of comment that that was one of the photographs which Fillmore said did not look like the co-conspirator at all. A photograph of the applicant, the arrest photograph, taken upon the applicant’s arrest about three years after the events relevant to the alleged conspiracy, had been shown Fillmore on 8 February, with that result. No reference was made to the 9 February report in the Statement prepared by the United States Government for the application for extradition. It was mentioned neither in the United States Attorney’s statement nor in the Statement signed by Fillmore. The arrest photograph was disclosed but no reference was made to its potentially exculpatory effect.”

The Court therefore held: “The committal order, must in the circumstances, be quashed by reason of the unfairness of the proceedings resulting from the non-disclosure of crucial evidence, as accepted by the government. The writ of habeas corpus will, accordingly issue”.







The Bow Street Magistrate Court delivered its judgment on the 10th of January 2003 wherein District Judge Tim Workman came to the conclusion that the new identification evidence produced by the US Government was worthless and unreliable and that I was clearly not the person involved in the narcotics transaction for which the indictment was made in the US and should thus be discharged. In this regard, the District Judge held:

The District Judge then concluded pungently that:
“certain of the assertions made by the government are untrue ……I am satisfied that the overwhelming evidence here is such that the identification evidence, already tenuous, has now been so undermined as to make it incredible and valueless. In those circumstances there is no prima facie case against the defendant and I propose to discharge him.”

THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST ME
Upon my release from the United Kingdom following the judgment of the Bow Street Magistrate Court on the 10th of January 2003, I returned to Nigeria and rebuilt MY businesses. I also soon became actively involved in politics especially in Ogun State and by 2008 some politicians who see me as a threat to their ambitions commenced a campaign of calumny against me alleging that I was a convicted drug dealer who had been jailed in the United Kingdom for 5 years for drug related offences and wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States of America for similar offences.

The Interpol department of the Nigerian Police Force conducted investigations into the allegations and published a report dated 4th March, 2008, and signed by ACP Haruna H. Mshelia, in which it stated among other things:
“That all our letters written to Interpol London, Lyon, Washington and Cotonou relating to enquiries on criminal/drug/conviction records of the suspect were returned negative to the effect that the suspect was never convicted of such offence in their territory.”
I commenced several lawsuits as a result of this attack on my person; most of the lawsuits for Libel against me were commenced in 2010. Faced with these circumstances, and in a desperate bid to find justification for their false allegations, these politicians began to pressurize the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to resuscitate the false US indictment against me in Nigeria and to instigate an extradition process against me on the same baseless accusations.


The Federal High Court ina judgment delivered in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/938/2010found that the AGF could not exercise any power against me under the Nigerian Extradition Act when I had been found not to be involved in any alleged crime in the US and because I am not a fugitive.

In spite of this judgment, my detractors persisted in their treacherous activities and sometime in 2015, the Nigerian police wrote a letter to the British High Commissioner in Nigeria requesting him t o confirm the authenticity of the aforesaid judgments of the British Courts in response to which the British High Commission in a letter dated 27th April 2015 confirmed the authenticity of the documents in respect of the extradition proceedings in the U.K and stated that:

“The magistrate was not satisfied that there was a case to answer and the extradition request was rejected.”
I consequently filed an application for the enforcement of my fundamental rights in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/508/2015. The Federal High Court on the 17th of April 2015 made an interlocutory order in the following terms:
“In line with the provisions of the Order (iv) rule 4 (c) (iv) of the Fundamental Rights’ (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009, the Respondents herein shall in the interim stay all actions arising from the Applicant’s claims capable of infringing on his fundamental rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement and association pending the hearing and determination of the Applicant’s substantive application dated 14/4/2015.”

The court subsequently heard arguments in respect of the originating motion and reserved judgment to be delivered on the 27th of May 2015.

Notwithstanding the pendency of the Suit wherein judgment had been reserved and the interlocutory order of the court as aforesaid, over 50 armed and masked operatives of the NDLEA prodded by the then AGF, Mr Mohammed Adokie Bello, invaded my residence in Lagos on Saturday, the 23rd of May 2015, breaking down and destroying windows, doors and gates to gain entrance. They harassed and intimidated me and members of my household including my pregnant wife and infant children. When the attempt to abduct me failed due to media exposure, they detained me in my house.

In a committal proceedings commenced against the AGF and NDLEA (as a result of the unlawful invasion of my house) in the Federal High court an order was made on the 26th of May 2015 as follows:
“That the men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency stationed at the Residence of the Applicant are hereby ordered to vacate the premises in view of the subsisting court order of O.E. Abang J. that parties shall stay all actions pending the determination of the matter fixed for 27/5/2015.”

The operatives of the NDLEA in disobedience of the order of the court refused to vacate my premises until the 28th of May 2015 and not because of the order of the court but because they obtained a written undertaking from my lawyer, Prince Ajibola Oluyede to produce me whenever I am required.

The court on the 27th of May 2015eventuallydelivered a judgment in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/508/2015 wherein it among other things made an order as follows:
“That the 1st to 12th Respondents are hereby restrained from unlawfully arresting, detaining, attacking, abducting and/or kidnapping the Applicant to prevent him from being sworn in as Senator representing Ogun State Senatorial District in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or in any way preventing him from entering the halls of National Assembly or participating in the inauguration of the new National Assembly based on allegations that have been the subject of investigations by Interpol the Applicant having been cleared and/or exonerated by two Courts of competent jurisdiction in the United Kingdom.”

Subsequently, a bundle of documents titled “Application for the Extradition of Buruji Kashamu” to which was attached a so called “provisional warrant of arrest of Buruji Kashamu” purported to have been signed by an unnamed Judge of the Federal High Court was filed at the Abuja division of the Federal High Court. Conspicuously missing from the bundle of documents was the required request for my extradition, issued by the US Authorities as prescribed by the Nigerian Extradition Act.

In response to the above, my Lawyers filed an application for committal against the then AGF and the Chairman of the NDLEA in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/508/2015 dated the 5th of June 2015 seeking the nullification of the documents respectively referred to by the AGF as a “provisional warrant of arrest” and “Application for extradition”.

In a ruling delivered on the 8th of June 2015, the Court in nullifying those documents made the following order:

“The invasion of the Applicant’s premise with armed operatives of NDLEA on 23/5/2015 is hereby declared unlawful and unconstitutional and a clear abuse of official power, an affront to the authority of this Court and it is actionable against NDLEA. The provisional warrant dated 25/5/2015 that is claimed to have been signed by the Judge of this Honourable Court in exercise of the court’s disciplinary jurisdiction is hereby set aside and accordingly nullified”.

In the meantime, the Abuja division of the Federal High Court heard arguments in respect of the AGF’s “application for extradition” in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/479/2015 and in a ruling delivered on the 1st of July 2015 dismissed same in the following words: “This suit is hereby dismissed. There shall be no order as to costs. The Applicant, being an office created by the constitution (see section 150(1) of the Constitution 1999 As Amended) has a greater obligation, by its act and conduct, in the context of its very extensive constitutional powers as prescribed in Section 174(1)(a), (b) and (c), (2) and (3) of the CFRN, supra. to be seen to be law abiding and to give maximum and unqualified respect to every judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, regardless of its opinion as to whether the court was right or wrong until such decisions are set aside by the appellate courts. To do otherwise is to further deepen an incipient culture of disobedience of court’s orders and of unmitigated acts of unbridled impunity to judicial process even by the citizenry and the proverbial ‘common man’ whose last hope lies in the judiciary. This shall be the ruling of this court. The suit is for these reasons, dismissed”.

THE U.S. CASE
Meanwhile, prior to the foiled attempt to abduct me in the guise of an extradition process, I had filed a suit in the US to pre-empt their evil plot when I got wind of it. It should be emphasised that their plot is in contravention of the subsisting orders and judgments of the courts which are in tandem with the United Nations Declaration on the Protection of All Persons From Enforced Disappearance, which among other things states that “No State shall practise, permit or tolerate enforced disappearances”.

It was the suit which was filed in April 2015 that culminated in the 23rd January, 2017 ruling which some sections of the media instigated by my political opponents decided to sensationalise.

Justices Richard Posner and Michael Kanne of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit unabashedly approbated and re-approbated when it departed from a precedent it set in Hijazi, 589 F. 3d 401 (7th Cir.2009) which the US District Judge as per Hon. Charles Norgle relied on and declared that I was not a fugitive since I had never set my foot in the US nor flee from detention in the United States or anywhere in the world. There is no record that the legal precedent had been upturned or reversed, yet the same court departed from this settled principle of law and made far-reaching conclusions which are unsupportable by the history and facts of the case as well as the findings of the British courts.
The US Court of Appeals talked about the Justice Department’s inability to convince the British judge that I was the person it was seeking to extradite. Let us assume without conceding that I was released from prison custody in London as a result of the inability of the Justice Department to convince the British Court that I was the person being sought, should I then be haunted for life? Should I continue to pay for the “inability” of the Justice Department to convince the British courts?



And as if justifying the 2015 abduction plot, the appellate court added that, “The Mansfield Amendment is explicit in not prohibiting an employee of the United States, provided he has the approval of the United States chief of mission, from being present when foreign officers are affecting an arrest or from assisting foreign officers who are effecting an arrest. The conduct of which Kashamu complains – that U.S. agents actively participated in an attempt by Nigerian agents to arrest him – was thus lawful.”

The above findings of the court could only be tenable in a situation where extradition proceedings had not taken place. In my case, I faced extradition proceedings in the United Kingdom at the behest of the United States government and after four rigorous years of trial, the British courts found that it was a case of mistaken identity and released me. How many times will I face extradition proceedings over the same offence? If the United Kingdom did not find me guilty, should I be a sacrifice on the altar of political expediency in order to be seen as being more Catholic than the Pope?

In effect, what the US judgment is saying is that the several rulings of the British and Nigerian courts are worthless. This is without regards to the International Laws and treaties that are binding on them.

31. Given the US Court of Appeals varying positions, it could then be safely assumed that the 2015 abduction plot was hatched after seeing the futility in any attempt to legally extradite me. This much was said in the 18th of August, 2014 judgment given by the same U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

32. The US appellate court said, “Several months after the indictment came down, Kashamu showed up in England and was arrested at our government’s request. Justice Department lawyers, working with their English counterparts, sought his extradition to the United States to stand trial. There were two extradition proceedings, both unsuccessful, ending finally in January, 2003 when the Judge refused to order him extradited. He had been detained throughout the extradition proceedings. As soon as the judge ruled, Kashamu left England for Nigeria, where he remains.”
33. In effect, the US Courts acknowledged that I was arrested and tried twice in London at the US Government’s request, and that the US Justice Department lawyers worked closely with their English counterparts. In effect, the British Government cooperated with the US government on the both occasions as if it was the Federal Government of Nigeria. Yet, at the end of the day, I was exonerated because it was found that it was a case of mistaken identity.
34. Even in the same ruling, the US appellate court held that I had been “exonerated though only partly by the judiciary of our British ally”. And then went on to state that, “Given Kashamu’s prominence in Nigeria business and government circles and the English magistrate’s findings and conclusions, the probability of extradition may actually be low.”

35. So, if the English court had made positive and definitive findings exonerating me and declared that I am not the accused person being sought, is it not appropriate for me to ask that the indictment be quashed and take every lawful step to protect myself?


CONCLUSION
38. Put succinctly, in view of the facts that I was arrested and detained on the request of the American Government between 1998 and 2003, and two British courts found that I was not the person being sought and freed me, after two extradition proceedings, the Federal Government, its agencies or any of its officers ought not to entertain any purported extradition or abduction. Yet, they made another move in May 2015 which was dismissed by the Federal High Court, Abuja. It is trite that once a case has been dismissed, it cannot be filed in court again. There is no way American court can override British and Nigerian courts. Therefore, any attempt to condone or allow abduction in the guise of an extradition is an illegality and affront on our sovereignty, the rule of law, international and municipal laws. I am an employer of labour with hundreds of employees who also cater for their immediate and their extended families. I have had more than enough distractions since this needless harassment began. I could hardly focus on building my businesses and the consequences on my bottom line and cash flow have saddled me with an N11billion deficit that I am still battling to offset. However, I rest with faith in the Almighty Allah Subhana Wa Tala, who is in control of the circumstances of my life. I remain committed and forthright in the service of mankind and my nation. Senator Buruji Kashamu
Ogun East Senatorial District
28.01.17

THE BACKGROUND
On a business trip to the United Kingdom in 1998 in pursuit of my cotton trading business in Liverpool, I was arrested at City Airport in London and detained pursuant to an arrest warrant issued on the basis of an indictment in the United States (U.S.) in which the name “Alaji” had been introduced as a party to an alleged offence of importation of narcotics into the United States by the U.S authorities. I have never visited or resided in the U.S and certainly have never been involved in any business not to talk of a criminal activity whatsoever in the US. Although, I declared from the moment of arrest that I was not the person involved in the alleged narcotics business and that it was a case of mistaken identity, the British courts made an order for my committal pending my extradition to the U.S. Fortunately, my lawyers came across some exculpatory evidence, which the US government had concealed from the courts in the extradition proceedings. The evidence was the outcome of a photo identification parade for the purpose of Identifying the said “Alaji”, that was held in the US Attorney’s office. They had taken a mug shot of me and placed it with seven other photographs of black males who had facial hair that was similar to mine and were about my age too. After viewing the photo lineup, Fillmore, one of the accused, said that the 3rd photograph in the lineup looked like a bad photograph of the man they were looking for. He also declared that the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th photographs did not at all look like the said ÄLaji”; my mug shot was the 7th in the lineup; that was one of the photographs that Fillmore said did not at all look like the wanted kingpin.

“What has now emerged, with a letter from the United States’ Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, is a report of an investigation into the case against the applicant conducted on 9 February 1999. The report stated insofar as material, that on 8 February 1999, Fillmore viewed a photo lineup for the purpose of identifying Kashamu. The meeting was held in the US Attorney’s office. An officer of the Attorney had received a copy of an arrest photograph of Kashamu from another officer. The report continues that the officer ‘…took the copy of the arrest photograph and placed in a DEA form 470, photo identification folder, with seven photographs of black males. These black males had similar facial hair and were the approximate age of Kashamu. This photo lineup was shown to Fillmore. Fillmore provided the following statements: ‘it is not jumping out at me, I know what the man looks like.’ Fillmore further stated that photograph #03 looked like a bad photograph of him. Photos #02, #04, #06, #07 and #08 did not look like him at all. Fillmore stated that #05 looked a lot like him but did not look like him. Fillmore ruled out photograph #01. Fillmore stated that #05 looked the closest like Alaji.’ That is the name by which Fillmore knew his co-conspirator. ‘The arrest photograph of Kashamu was placed in position #07 of the photo lineup.’ I add by way of comment that that was one of the photographs which Fillmore said did not look like the co-conspirator at all. A photograph of the applicant, the arrest photograph, taken upon the applicant’s arrest about three years after the events relevant to the alleged conspiracy, had been shown Fillmore on 8 February, with that result. No reference was made to the 9 February report in the Statement prepared by the United States Government for the application for extradition. It was mentioned neither in the United States Attorney’s statement nor in the Statement signed by Fillmore. The arrest photograph was disclosed but no reference was made to its potentially exculpatory effect.”

The Court therefore held: “The committal order, must in the circumstances, be quashed by reason of the unfairness of the proceedings resulting from the non-disclosure of crucial evidence, as accepted by the government. The writ of habeas corpus will, accordingly issue”.







The Bow Street Magistrate Court delivered its judgment on the 10th of January 2003 wherein District Judge Tim Workman came to the conclusion that the new identification evidence produced by the US Government was worthless and unreliable and that I was clearly not the person involved in the narcotics transaction for which the indictment was made in the US and should thus be discharged. In this regard, the District Judge held:

The District Judge then concluded pungently that:
“certain of the assertions made by the government are untrue ……I am satisfied that the overwhelming evidence here is such that the identification evidence, already tenuous, has now been so undermined as to make it incredible and valueless. In those circumstances there is no prima facie case against the defendant and I propose to discharge him.”

THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST ME
Upon my release from the United Kingdom following the judgment of the Bow Street Magistrate Court on the 10th of January 2003, I returned to Nigeria and rebuilt MY businesses. I also soon became actively involved in politics especially in Ogun State and by 2008 some politicians who see me as a threat to their ambitions commenced a campaign of calumny against me alleging that I was a convicted drug dealer who had been jailed in the United Kingdom for 5 years for drug related offences and wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States of America for similar offences.

The Interpol department of the Nigerian Police Force conducted investigations into the allegations and published a report dated 4th March, 2008, and signed by ACP Haruna H. Mshelia, in which it stated among other things:
“That all our letters written to Interpol London, Lyon, Washington and Cotonou relating to enquiries on criminal/drug/conviction records of the suspect were returned negative to the effect that the suspect was never convicted of such offence in their territory.”
I commenced several lawsuits as a result of this attack on my person; most of the lawsuits for Libel against me were commenced in 2010. Faced with these circumstances, and in a desperate bid to find justification for their false allegations, these politicians began to pressurize the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to resuscitate the false US indictment against me in Nigeria and to instigate an extradition process against me on the same baseless accusations.


The Federal High Court ina judgment delivered in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/938/2010found that the AGF could not exercise any power against me under the Nigerian Extradition Act when I had been found not to be involved in any alleged crime in the US and because I am not a fugitive.

In spite of this judgment, my detractors persisted in their treacherous activities and sometime in 2015, the Nigerian police wrote a letter to the British High Commissioner in Nigeria requesting him t o confirm the authenticity of the aforesaid judgments of the British Courts in response to which the British High Commission in a letter dated 27th April 2015 confirmed the authenticity of the documents in respect of the extradition proceedings in the U.K and stated that:

“The magistrate was not satisfied that there was a case to answer and the extradition request was rejected.”
I consequently filed an application for the enforcement of my fundamental rights in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/508/2015. The Federal High Court on the 17th of April 2015 made an interlocutory order in the following terms:
“In line with the provisions of the Order (iv) rule 4 (c) (iv) of the Fundamental Rights’ (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009, the Respondents herein shall in the interim stay all actions arising from the Applicant’s claims capable of infringing on his fundamental rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement and association pending the hearing and determination of the Applicant’s substantive application dated 14/4/2015.”

The court subsequently heard arguments in respect of the originating motion and reserved judgment to be delivered on the 27th of May 2015.

Notwithstanding the pendency of the Suit wherein judgment had been reserved and the interlocutory order of the court as aforesaid, over 50 armed and masked operatives of the NDLEA prodded by the then AGF, Mr Mohammed Adokie Bello, invaded my residence in Lagos on Saturday, the 23rd of May 2015, breaking down and destroying windows, doors and gates to gain entrance. They harassed and intimidated me and members of my household including my pregnant wife and infant children. When the attempt to abduct me failed due to media exposure, they detained me in my house.

In a committal proceedings commenced against the AGF and NDLEA (as a result of the unlawful invasion of my house) in the Federal High court an order was made on the 26th of May 2015 as follows:
“That the men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency stationed at the Residence of the Applicant are hereby ordered to vacate the premises in view of the subsisting court order of O.E. Abang J. that parties shall stay all actions pending the determination of the matter fixed for 27/5/2015.”

The operatives of the NDLEA in disobedience of the order of the court refused to vacate my premises until the 28th of May 2015 and not because of the order of the court but because they obtained a written undertaking from my lawyer, Prince Ajibola Oluyede to produce me whenever I am required.

The court on the 27th of May 2015eventuallydelivered a judgment in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/508/2015 wherein it among other things made an order as follows:
“That the 1st to 12th Respondents are hereby restrained from unlawfully arresting, detaining, attacking, abducting and/or kidnapping the Applicant to prevent him from being sworn in as Senator representing Ogun State Senatorial District in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or in any way preventing him from entering the halls of National Assembly or participating in the inauguration of the new National Assembly based on allegations that have been the subject of investigations by Interpol the Applicant having been cleared and/or exonerated by two Courts of competent jurisdiction in the United Kingdom.”

Subsequently, a bundle of documents titled “Application for the Extradition of Buruji Kashamu” to which was attached a so called “provisional warrant of arrest of Buruji Kashamu” purported to have been signed by an unnamed Judge of the Federal High Court was filed at the Abuja division of the Federal High Court. Conspicuously missing from the bundle of documents was the required request for my extradition, issued by the US Authorities as prescribed by the Nigerian Extradition Act.

In response to the above, my Lawyers filed an application for committal against the then AGF and the Chairman of the NDLEA in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/508/2015 dated the 5th of June 2015 seeking the nullification of the documents respectively referred to by the AGF as a “provisional warrant of arrest” and “Application for extradition”.

In a ruling delivered on the 8th of June 2015, the Court in nullifying those documents made the following order:

“The invasion of the Applicant’s premise with armed operatives of NDLEA on 23/5/2015 is hereby declared unlawful and unconstitutional and a clear abuse of official power, an affront to the authority of this Court and it is actionable against NDLEA. The provisional warrant dated 25/5/2015 that is claimed to have been signed by the Judge of this Honourable Court in exercise of the court’s disciplinary jurisdiction is hereby set aside and accordingly nullified”.

In the meantime, the Abuja division of the Federal High Court heard arguments in respect of the AGF’s “application for extradition” in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/479/2015 and in a ruling delivered on the 1st of July 2015 dismissed same in the following words: “This suit is hereby dismissed. There shall be no order as to costs. The Applicant, being an office created by the constitution (see section 150(1) of the Constitution 1999 As Amended) has a greater obligation, by its act and conduct, in the context of its very extensive constitutional powers as prescribed in Section 174(1)(a), (b) and (c), (2) and (3) of the CFRN, supra. to be seen to be law abiding and to give maximum and unqualified respect to every judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, regardless of its opinion as to whether the court was right or wrong until such decisions are set aside by the appellate courts. To do otherwise is to further deepen an incipient culture of disobedience of court’s orders and of unmitigated acts of unbridled impunity to judicial process even by the citizenry and the proverbial ‘common man’ whose last hope lies in the judiciary. This shall be the ruling of this court. The suit is for these reasons, dismissed”.

THE U.S. CASE
Meanwhile, prior to the foiled attempt to abduct me in the guise of an extradition process, I had filed a suit in the US to pre-empt their evil plot when I got wind of it. It should be emphasised that their plot is in contravention of the subsisting orders and judgments of the courts which are in tandem with the United Nations Declaration on the Protection of All Persons From Enforced Disappearance, which among other things states that “No State shall practise, permit or tolerate enforced disappearances”.

It was the suit which was filed in April 2015 that culminated in the 23rd January, 2017 ruling which some sections of the media instigated by my political opponents decided to sensationalise.

Justices Richard Posner and Michael Kanne of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit unabashedly approbated and re-approbated when it departed from a precedent it set in Hijazi, 589 F. 3d 401 (7th Cir.2009) which the US District Judge as per Hon. Charles Norgle relied on and declared that I was not a fugitive since I had never set my foot in the US nor flee from detention in the United States or anywhere in the world. There is no record that the legal precedent had been upturned or reversed, yet the same court departed from this settled principle of law and made far-reaching conclusions which are unsupportable by the history and facts of the case as well as the findings of the British courts.
The US Court of Appeals talked about the Justice Department’s inability to convince the British judge that I was the person it was seeking to extradite. Let us assume without conceding that I was released from prison custody in London as a result of the inability of the Justice Department to convince the British Court that I was the person being sought, should I then be haunted for life? Should I continue to pay for the “inability” of the Justice Department to convince the British courts?



And as if justifying the 2015 abduction plot, the appellate court added that, “The Mansfield Amendment is explicit in not prohibiting an employee of the United States, provided he has the approval of the United States chief of mission, from being present when foreign officers are affecting an arrest or from assisting foreign officers who are effecting an arrest. The conduct of which Kashamu complains – that U.S. agents actively participated in an attempt by Nigerian agents to arrest him – was thus lawful.”

The above findings of the court could only be tenable in a situation where extradition proceedings had not taken place. In my case, I faced extradition proceedings in the United Kingdom at the behest of the United States government and after four rigorous years of trial, the British courts found that it was a case of mistaken identity and released me. How many times will I face extradition proceedings over the same offence? If the United Kingdom did not find me guilty, should I be a sacrifice on the altar of political expediency in order to be seen as being more Catholic than the Pope?

In effect, what the US judgment is saying is that the several rulings of the British and Nigerian courts are worthless. This is without regards to the International Laws and treaties that are binding on them.

31. Given the US Court of Appeals varying positions, it could then be safely assumed that the 2015 abduction plot was hatched after seeing the futility in any attempt to legally extradite me. This much was said in the 18th of August, 2014 judgment given by the same U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

32. The US appellate court said, “Several months after the indictment came down, Kashamu showed up in England and was arrested at our government’s request. Justice Department lawyers, working with their English counterparts, sought his extradition to the United States to stand trial. There were two extradition proceedings, both unsuccessful, ending finally in January, 2003 when the Judge refused to order him extradited. He had been detained throughout the extradition proceedings. As soon as the judge ruled, Kashamu left England for Nigeria, where he remains.”
33. In effect, the US Courts acknowledged that I was arrested and tried twice in London at the US Government’s request, and that the US Justice Department lawyers worked closely with their English counterparts. In effect, the British Government cooperated with the US government on the both occasions as if it was the Federal Government of Nigeria. Yet, at the end of the day, I was exonerated because it was found that it was a case of mistaken identity.
34. Even in the same ruling, the US appellate court held that I had been “exonerated though only partly by the judiciary of our British ally”. And then went on to state that, “Given Kashamu’s prominence in Nigeria business and government circles and the English magistrate’s findings and conclusions, the probability of extradition may actually be low.”

35. So, if the English court had made positive and definitive findings exonerating me and declared that I am not the accused person being sought, is it not appropriate for me to ask that the indictment be quashed and take every lawful step to protect myself?


CONCLUSION
38. Put succinctly, in view of the facts that I was arrested and detained on the request of the American Government between 1998 and 2003, and two British courts found that I was not the person being sought and freed me, after two extradition proceedings, the Federal Government, its agencies or any of its officers ought not to entertain any purported extradition or abduction. Yet, they made another move in May 2015 which was dismissed by the Federal High Court, Abuja. It is trite that once a case has been dismissed, it cannot be filed in court again. There is no way American court can override British and Nigerian courts. Therefore, any attempt to condone or allow abduction in the guise of an extradition is an illegality and affront on our sovereignty, the rule of law, international and municipal laws. I am an employer of labour with hundreds of employees who also cater for their immediate and their extended families. I have had more than enough distractions since this needless harassment began. I could hardly focus on building my businesses and the consequences on my bottom line and cash flow have saddled me with an N11billion deficit that I am still battling to offset. However, I rest with faith in the Almighty Allah Subhana Wa Tala, who is in control of the circumstances of my life. I remain committed and forthright in the service of mankind and my nation. Senator Buruji Kashamu
Ogun East Senatorial District
28.01.17