INEC REVERSES SELF ON OGUN PDP EXCO
…Recognises Adebayo Dayo-led Exco
The crisis rocking the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have been resolved with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reversing itself and recognizing the Engr. Adebayo Dayo as the State Chairman of the party.
Hitherto, the Commission and the national leadership of the PDP had recognized Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele as the State Chairman of the party, a development that resulted in several litigations, culminating in a recent judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
In a 12th April, 2018 letter entitled “Re: Gross Violation and Disrespect to Subsisting and Valid Judgment of Court by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) With Respect to Recognition of Ogun State Executive Committee of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)” and addressed to the law firm of Ricky Tarfa (SAN), INEC said, “The Commission in compliance with the Judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1556/2017 delivered on 9th February, 2018 has notified the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party of its compliance with the said judgment.”
In a separate letter with the same date and addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP, the Commission stated why it decided to reverse itself.
The letter, entitled “Re: Ogun State Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)” reads in part, “You may recall that the National Convention of the PDP on 12th August, 2017 dissolved the Engr. Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun State Executive Committee of the PDP and a Congress was conducted at which the current members of the Ogun State Executive Committee were elected.
“After the said congress, the Commission was served with the attached judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos delivered on 9thFebruary, 2018 in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1556/2017 wherein the Court ordered as follows:
‘I have considered the arguments of counsel on the issues of precedence and abuse of court process and I find myself in disagreement with counsel for the Defendants. The reasons being, first on the argument that the issues raised by the Plaintiff have been dealt with in the case of PDP VS. SHERIFF, this position is untrue and misleading. The primary contention in that case was over the seat of the chairman of the National Caretaker Committee while the issue in this case is regarding the Ogun State delegates representing the party at the National Convention…that the parties herein are bound by the decision of this Court in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/636/2016 delivered by Buba J. on the 24th day of June 2016 and Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/701/2017 until they are set aside by a Court of competent jurisdiction’.
“Consequently, the Commission shall comply with the said judgment of the Federal High Court. Please be guided accordingly.”
It would be recalled that Tarfa had on the 26th of March, 2018 written a letter to the Commission asking it to obey the judgment of the court in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1556/2017.
Also, the lawmaker representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Buruji Kashamu had on the same date written the Commission over the Ogun State PDP Executive.
Kashamu questioned why the commission was recalcitrant in keeping to its tradition of obeying court orders and judgments until a superior court says otherwise.
The lawmaker said the latest judgment had been served on the Commission and wondered why the “the Director of Legal Services, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, was either keeping the judgment away from your office and/or sitting on it”.
This was followed by a letter dated 3rd April, 2018, in which Dayo threatened to take some steps against the Commission if his request to reverse itself on the issue of the Ogun State PDP Exco was not granted within a week.
Reacting to the Commission’s decision to reverse itself and recognize his Exco, Dayo said, “There was no victor, no vanquished.This is not the time to score cheap political points or celebrate over anyone. The party has won; democracy has won and the Rule of Law has won. It is victory for all our party leaders, elders and members. We all – aspirants, leaders and followers – need to come together and embrace peace and work in unity for the task ahead of us as a party. Let us forget the past and join hands to work for a glorious future,” Dayo said.
He appealed to all aspirants, party leaders and members to come together and work for the interest of the people.
Tuesday, 17 April 2018
Tuesday, 3 April 2018
Ogun community gets new trasformer
Ogun community gets new trasformer
IKENNE—In fulfillment of his electioneering campaigns, a member of the upper legislative chamber, Prince Buruji kashamu, has donated a 500KVA transformer to Ajegunle community in Ikenne Local Government Area to boost power supply in the community.
Kashamu represents Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly.
Presenting the transformer to the community, Kashamu, who was represented by the Ogun State coordinator of Omoilu Foundation, Mr. Leke Shittu, urged residents to protect the transformer from vandals.
He said the gesture would improve socio-economic activities in the community.
A leader in the community, Engr. Tunde Fakiye, thanked the lawmaker, saying the gesture would boost commerce.
IKENNE—In fulfillment of his electioneering campaigns, a member of the upper legislative chamber, Prince Buruji kashamu, has donated a 500KVA transformer to Ajegunle community in Ikenne Local Government Area to boost power supply in the community.
Kashamu represents Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly.
Presenting the transformer to the community, Kashamu, who was represented by the Ogun State coordinator of Omoilu Foundation, Mr. Leke Shittu, urged residents to protect the transformer from vandals.
He said the gesture would improve socio-economic activities in the community.
A leader in the community, Engr. Tunde Fakiye, thanked the lawmaker, saying the gesture would boost commerce.
Thursday, 4 January 2018
ONAMUSI DANIEL ONADEKO: YOU ARE AN INCORRIGBLE LIAR
ONAMUSI DANIEL ONADEKO: YOU ARE AN INCORRIGBLE LIAR
My attention has just been drawn to yet another odious comment by my former employee and Senior Legislative Aide (SLA), Onamusi Daniel Onadeko wherein he accused me of lying over the fact that no leader authorised him to execute 18 out of the 21 constituency projects I facilitated in Ogun East Senatorial District in the 2016 budget.
I think by now it should be clear to reasonable minds that Onamusi is an incorrigble liar who is confused and destabilised as a result of the needless trouble his unbridled greed has brought upon him.
The indubitable point I made in my yesterday's rejoinder was that he claimed the beneficiary leaders authorised him to do the projects but he couldn't name them because he knew he was lying.
Secondly, assuming without conceding that the leaders authorised him to do the projects, how was it possible that ALL of them gave ONLY Onamusi such a mandate? Was there any written document to that effect?
Fortunately (or is it unfortunately?), the only leader he mentioned as his witness in his comment following my challenge to him, Chief Ade Alatishe (a.k.a Elerugbada) has come out to confirm all I have said and put a lie to his frivolous claims. The questions remain: how would Onamusi claim that leaders authorised him to execute projects on their behalf and such people do not know the value of the contract, how much had been paid? What had been expended? And what was left?
For the avoidance of doubt, what Onamusi did was to inform the leaders of the constituency projects standing to their credit; he then collected the names of their companies and in some cases money for bids, and turned round to inform them that their companies were not qualified. He later offered to help them get qualified contractors who will execute the projects in their respective communities.
Unknown to them, he and his companies were the "qualified contractors" he offered to help them get. That was how he cornered 18 out of 21 constituency projects using two of his companies while serving as my SLA!
Onamusi, it is most unfortunate that a pathological liar like you could turn round to call me names. If for nothing at all, I was your employer and benefactor. Apart from all that you have gotten from me fraudulently, when you had no roof over your head in Abuja, I put you in Protea Hotel where I paid N25,000 per night for six months and then gave you N2.5 million to rent a house which you never did. Instead, you went to squat in the house of one of your friends. I didn't ask you to return the money. Can you also recall how you pestered me to buy you a Lexus jeep before the bubble burst? Onamusi, by your conduct, you have simply defeacated in the church and instead of you to bury your head in shame, you are engaging in needless gymnastics. You need to go and seek forgiveness from God and man. Otherwise, you will soon be consumed by your greed and recalcitrance. May God have mercy on you!
Signed
Senator Buruji Kashamu
Ogun East Senatorial District 04.01.18
Wednesday, 3 January 2018
RE: RESPONSE TO SENATOR BURUJI KASHAMU BY ONAMUSI DANIEL ONADEKO
RE: RESPONSE TO SENATOR BURUJI KASHAMU BY ONAMUSI DANIEL ONADEKO
I have again read the response of my former Senior Legislative Aide (SLA), Hon. Onamusi Daniel Onadeko, to the rejoinder I wrote, replying him over his claims that his ordeals in the hands of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) - which is trying him for fraud, abuse of office and other sundry offences - was sponsored and politically motivated.
1. Onamusi, it should be clear to discerning minds who have read your hogwash that you failed woefully in your attempt to blackmail me and wipe up unnecessary sentiments. By your own account of the events that transpired between us, you have inadvertently and incontrovertibly confirmed that you used two of your companies to execute 18 of out 21 constituency projects I facilitated for Ogun East Senatorial District in the 2016 budget while serving as my SLA! However, your justification was that you did so based on the instructions of some unnamed party leaders. Onamusi, you lied! No leader authorized you to execute projects on their behalf. Yours was a fraudulent act, bordering on insatiable greed, abuse of office, betrayal of trust and unconscionable treachery.
2. With respect to your claim about those I have political differences with, it is not today that people; especially politicians, disagree with one another and then settle their differences. That is why they say we agree to disagree. If as you claimed, you were warned not to relate with me or get close to me, why did it take my objection to your dishonest and fraudulent acts to realize this?
3. The truth of the matter is that based on instructions that my office should not be involved in contract award and execution and that you should inform qualified constituents and party leaders who are contractors and who may be interested in executing such projects in their communities, you informed some of them and they submitted their documents to you. You even collected money from some of them that you needed to use to pay for bids and process some documents. But, you later told them that their companies did not qualify and that you could help them to get contractors who would execute the projects on their behalf. Unknown to them, you and your companies were the “contractors” that you offered to get for them. Stop lying that you executed the contracts with the consent of the leaders or in my best interest? Which interest? Are you saying that you had my interest at heart more than those you falsely claimed to have acted for? How could you have executed contracts on someone’s behalf without his or her knowledge of the contract name, sum, site and other details? Besides, were you a legislative aide or a contractor?
4. You consistently lied to me and community/party leaders and constituents that different contractors handled the projects until the Constituency Projects Monitoring Committee that I set up went to inspect the projects and stated the names of the companies handling each of them. That was when it was revealed that two of your companies – Stanton Nigeria Limited and Haines & Baines Nigeria Limited – handled over 90 percent of the projects.
5. Upon the committee’s report, when I repeatedly asked you who owned the two companies, you denied same until I confronted you with Sworn Affidavits at the FCT High Court, Abuja and documents from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), bearing your passport photograph, name and signature as director of the companies! You then went down on your knees, owned up to the deals and started begging for forgiveness. But, I told you that the matter was beyond me because the crime you committed was not against me but the Federal Government and I would not want to be accused of complicity or using you as a front to influence the award of contracts to myself or companies where I had interests.
6. Now, if you claim that there are decided cases and laws which preclude legislative aides from being public officers, why not just go through the judicial process, like I did in the United Kingdom over the needless case that you referred to and have had to defend in the past, to establish your innocence? At least, you have publicly stated and admitted that you saw some judgments and documents relating to the case and you became “VERY comfortable” with me, adding that, “Whatever could be the opinion of any individual (including you, Onamusi) regarding the issue…cannot supersede the court judgments”. So, why the old worn-out talk about going to the US?
7. Going by your claim on precedents, it is only “The President and Deputy President of the Senate, Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the House of Representatives and Houses of Assembly of the State and all members and staff of Legislative Houses” that are public officers. If you knew that senators are public officers who should not be involved in contract awards and execution, and yet you carried on as if I instructed you to represent me in executing the contracts, it goes to confirm my suspicion that you deliberately wanted to set me up and put me in trouble – the very reason I had to be proactive in proving my innocence and exonerating myself. It should also be noted that the case (s) you cited, according to you, had to do with terminal benefits and emoluments and not abuse of office and gross misconduct. Again, if by your admission, public officers include “ALL members and staff of Legislative Houses”, then the argument could be stretched further to mean that it includes Legislative Aides because the drafters of the law did not specify whether temporary or permanent staff. While I have only gone this route to open up your mind, I honestly think that all these your positions are better canvassed in a court of law.
8. While I appreciate all you claimed to have done during my election and the six days that the NDLEA illegally laid siege to my house, they are not enough reasons for you to put me in trouble or deprive others, including party leaders and constituents their right and entitlements. They are Nigerians and equal stakeholders.
9. If it is true that you spent N3million of your personal money to organize raffle draw in your hometown or local government for my election to the Senate, I thank you for the gesture but I am aware that you have equally realized up to N70million in the 22 months that you worked with me as SLA, either by hook or crook. That is why you have the guts to be exchanging these kinds of shameless messages with me after your brazen acts of corruption and fraud. You think you have made some good money and could look anyone, including your benefactors, in the face.
10. On the issue of 2019 and the promise that you said I made to you on either a governorship or senatorial ticket, Onamusi, you lied again. It was when I heard that you were using my name and influence to fight people like Zacchaeus and others over the PDP Exco in your local government that I told you to desist from such act. I said if you had gone to the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003 on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), you cannot possibly go below that. And if that were to be the case, it would be decided at the State or national level. I then admonished you to leave these people whom you met in the party and still by-passed to clinch the SLA position to constitute the LG Exco. That was all I told you. I never promised you any senatorial or governorship ticket. I could not have done so because I am not God!
11. Onamusi, it is surprising that you stated that your second piece would be the last on this issue. I had expected you to continue so that I can go further to release all the correspondences and text messages that we both exchanged on this matter and then people would see who should seek forgiveness from God and man between the two of us.
12. For now, I will keep my powder dry; waiting for you to fire the next salvo and then you shall have it in full measure since you asked for it. Thank you and God bless.
Signed
Senator Buruji Kashamu
Ogun East Senatorial District
03.01.18
I have again read the response of my former Senior Legislative Aide (SLA), Hon. Onamusi Daniel Onadeko, to the rejoinder I wrote, replying him over his claims that his ordeals in the hands of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) - which is trying him for fraud, abuse of office and other sundry offences - was sponsored and politically motivated.
1. Onamusi, it should be clear to discerning minds who have read your hogwash that you failed woefully in your attempt to blackmail me and wipe up unnecessary sentiments. By your own account of the events that transpired between us, you have inadvertently and incontrovertibly confirmed that you used two of your companies to execute 18 of out 21 constituency projects I facilitated for Ogun East Senatorial District in the 2016 budget while serving as my SLA! However, your justification was that you did so based on the instructions of some unnamed party leaders. Onamusi, you lied! No leader authorized you to execute projects on their behalf. Yours was a fraudulent act, bordering on insatiable greed, abuse of office, betrayal of trust and unconscionable treachery.
2. With respect to your claim about those I have political differences with, it is not today that people; especially politicians, disagree with one another and then settle their differences. That is why they say we agree to disagree. If as you claimed, you were warned not to relate with me or get close to me, why did it take my objection to your dishonest and fraudulent acts to realize this?
3. The truth of the matter is that based on instructions that my office should not be involved in contract award and execution and that you should inform qualified constituents and party leaders who are contractors and who may be interested in executing such projects in their communities, you informed some of them and they submitted their documents to you. You even collected money from some of them that you needed to use to pay for bids and process some documents. But, you later told them that their companies did not qualify and that you could help them to get contractors who would execute the projects on their behalf. Unknown to them, you and your companies were the “contractors” that you offered to get for them. Stop lying that you executed the contracts with the consent of the leaders or in my best interest? Which interest? Are you saying that you had my interest at heart more than those you falsely claimed to have acted for? How could you have executed contracts on someone’s behalf without his or her knowledge of the contract name, sum, site and other details? Besides, were you a legislative aide or a contractor?
4. You consistently lied to me and community/party leaders and constituents that different contractors handled the projects until the Constituency Projects Monitoring Committee that I set up went to inspect the projects and stated the names of the companies handling each of them. That was when it was revealed that two of your companies – Stanton Nigeria Limited and Haines & Baines Nigeria Limited – handled over 90 percent of the projects.
5. Upon the committee’s report, when I repeatedly asked you who owned the two companies, you denied same until I confronted you with Sworn Affidavits at the FCT High Court, Abuja and documents from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), bearing your passport photograph, name and signature as director of the companies! You then went down on your knees, owned up to the deals and started begging for forgiveness. But, I told you that the matter was beyond me because the crime you committed was not against me but the Federal Government and I would not want to be accused of complicity or using you as a front to influence the award of contracts to myself or companies where I had interests.
6. Now, if you claim that there are decided cases and laws which preclude legislative aides from being public officers, why not just go through the judicial process, like I did in the United Kingdom over the needless case that you referred to and have had to defend in the past, to establish your innocence? At least, you have publicly stated and admitted that you saw some judgments and documents relating to the case and you became “VERY comfortable” with me, adding that, “Whatever could be the opinion of any individual (including you, Onamusi) regarding the issue…cannot supersede the court judgments”. So, why the old worn-out talk about going to the US?
7. Going by your claim on precedents, it is only “The President and Deputy President of the Senate, Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the House of Representatives and Houses of Assembly of the State and all members and staff of Legislative Houses” that are public officers. If you knew that senators are public officers who should not be involved in contract awards and execution, and yet you carried on as if I instructed you to represent me in executing the contracts, it goes to confirm my suspicion that you deliberately wanted to set me up and put me in trouble – the very reason I had to be proactive in proving my innocence and exonerating myself. It should also be noted that the case (s) you cited, according to you, had to do with terminal benefits and emoluments and not abuse of office and gross misconduct. Again, if by your admission, public officers include “ALL members and staff of Legislative Houses”, then the argument could be stretched further to mean that it includes Legislative Aides because the drafters of the law did not specify whether temporary or permanent staff. While I have only gone this route to open up your mind, I honestly think that all these your positions are better canvassed in a court of law.
8. While I appreciate all you claimed to have done during my election and the six days that the NDLEA illegally laid siege to my house, they are not enough reasons for you to put me in trouble or deprive others, including party leaders and constituents their right and entitlements. They are Nigerians and equal stakeholders.
9. If it is true that you spent N3million of your personal money to organize raffle draw in your hometown or local government for my election to the Senate, I thank you for the gesture but I am aware that you have equally realized up to N70million in the 22 months that you worked with me as SLA, either by hook or crook. That is why you have the guts to be exchanging these kinds of shameless messages with me after your brazen acts of corruption and fraud. You think you have made some good money and could look anyone, including your benefactors, in the face.
10. On the issue of 2019 and the promise that you said I made to you on either a governorship or senatorial ticket, Onamusi, you lied again. It was when I heard that you were using my name and influence to fight people like Zacchaeus and others over the PDP Exco in your local government that I told you to desist from such act. I said if you had gone to the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003 on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), you cannot possibly go below that. And if that were to be the case, it would be decided at the State or national level. I then admonished you to leave these people whom you met in the party and still by-passed to clinch the SLA position to constitute the LG Exco. That was all I told you. I never promised you any senatorial or governorship ticket. I could not have done so because I am not God!
11. Onamusi, it is surprising that you stated that your second piece would be the last on this issue. I had expected you to continue so that I can go further to release all the correspondences and text messages that we both exchanged on this matter and then people would see who should seek forgiveness from God and man between the two of us.
12. For now, I will keep my powder dry; waiting for you to fire the next salvo and then you shall have it in full measure since you asked for it. Thank you and God bless.
Signed
Senator Buruji Kashamu
Ogun East Senatorial District
03.01.18
Saturday, 16 December 2017
Egbe community gets new 500KVA transformer
Egbe community gets new 500KVA transformer
As part of efforts geared towards ensuring that the people of Ogun East Senatorial District enjoy the dividends of democracy, the lawmaker representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Buruji Kashamu on Saturday 16th Dec, 2017 donated a 500KVA transformer to Egbe Community in Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State to improve electricity supply in the area.
Handling over the transformer to leaders in the community, the Ogun State coordinator of Omoilu Foundation, Mr. Leke Shittu said that the transformer was meant to improve electricity supply in the community and as well, assist all the business women, men, artisans and everyone making use of electricity in the day to day running of their businesses in the community.
Shittu maintained that the primary objective of the light up Ogun East mission embarked upon by Senator Buruji in the Senatorial District was to boost power supply in the zone and to alleviate the sufferings of the people of Ogun East.
He advised them to make judicious use of the transformer by ensuring its protection and maintenance, assuring that the lawmaker would not leave any stone unturned in ensuring the continuous improvement of the community.
Speaking after receiving the document to the transformer, the family head of Egbe community, Chief Ola Sobowale expressed happiness that Senator Kashamu came to their rescue to solve their electricity problems, after many years of failed promises by past administrations to provide them with transformer that would boost power supply in the area.
He thanked the lawmaker for fulfilling the pledge he made to the community few months ago.
Wednesday, 6 December 2017
KASHAMU : THE MAJORITY SHOULD ACT NOW TO SAVE THE PDP.
KASHAMU : THE MAJORITY SHOULD ACT NOW TO SAVE THE PDP.
Equity is fundamentally about fairness to all people in every situation irrespective of peculiar shortcomings. That's a basic attraction of democracy for providing fair opportunities to all people. In Nigeria, the founding fathers of PDP responding to the equitable peculiarities; institutionalised the national zoning arrangements by making it constitutional. This is the foundation upon which PDP was built as a truly national party. It involves negotiated distribution of public offices in open and transparent inter-zonal negotiated concesus. For such zoning procedure to be harmonious and with acrimony; a virile national party leadership founded on earned trust, sincerity of purpose and selfless impartiality is a vital pathfinder which major stakeholders would rally behind. That virile and selfless national party leadership is lacking in the current National caretaker committee. As it were, PDP is currently under a "one chance" national party leadership that is propelled by egocentric agenda of working to achieve predetermined self-serving goals. This egocentric agenda could ruin our party while this opportunistic national leadership couldn't be bothered or are probably unawared of the enormity of their actions, having been overwhelmed by myopic illusions and petty selfishness. It has thus become imperative for the majority of the visionary and committed leaders, major stakeholders and convention delegates to rise to the responsibility of saving the PDP at the forthcoming national convention. I accordingly make this clarion call to all PDP stakeholders to rise up to the challenge.
Devoid of being parochial coming from the Southwest, my position is borne out of nationalistic sentiments and quest for equitable justice and fairplay upon only which the PDP can thrive and win national elections again. Without prejudice to anybody's right to contest irrespective of the established zoning arrangements, it's an open secret that the PDP national chairmanship has been conceded to the Southwest pre-Portharcourt convention. As of consequence of this, other positions zoned to the southwest were innocuous deputies to substantive offices except the Treasurer. Even the Deputy national secretary that is a member of the NWC wasn't included. All these were because of the vital national chairmanship already conceded to the Southwest. Infact, if elections were to hold then, a particular promising young politician from Lagos, Southwest could have won. With the aberration that the Makarfi emergence was, the centre cannot hold again given his jaundiced selfish presidential ambition without considerations to all concerned.
Agreed that the only thing constant in life is change, but if a consensual stand is to be changed; won't all concerned be carried all for re-enactment of appropriately new concesus? Must it be done in nauseating administrative manipulations and uncultured disdain of flaunting state wealth as war chest to bribe delegates as is currently happening? It is only reasonable and fair that a new all-inclusive stakeholders meeting be called, where necessary re-zoning of key party posts from the South would be rescheduled to enable the national chairmanship become open to all southern zones. Similarly, the previously held concesus of the Vice-president coming from the Southeast in 2019 would accordingly be revoked for all Southern zones including the Southwest to contend as is happening now.
The PDP Southeast needs to be categorical now in support of the Southwest on the ongoing national chairmanship tussle between the Southwest and the South-south. Quite honestly, the logical implication of this avoidable tussle is to make uncertain, the settled Southeast Vice-presidential quest in 2019. If the Southeast expectedly takes a principled stance in rightful support of the Southwest, naturally as a reliable tribe in adherence to agreements, the Yoruba PDP would reciprocate without any prompting. What is currently happening is glaringly an orchestrated assault on the Southwest to end up with nothing in 2019, with the disgusting connivance of the national party administrators. This is a dangerously illogical political permutation for 2019 national elections. Infact, Makarfi is disastrously the major impediment to a successful forthcoming national convention and credibly feasible permutations towards 2019. His inept leadership style is an unimaginable jeopardy to this party. How can a credible national leadership disqualify self from finding solution to a ranging disorder in some zones of the federation by leaving the people there to their funerals to find solutions? However, this same clueless Makarfi leadership can invoke authority to dissolve valid state exco from these zones, even in disobedience to substituting court judgements and sell the party structures there to his compromised allies. Ironically, such a clown dreams of becoming the President of the federation!!!
Indeed, the PDP Northern Elders Forum have demonstrated enviably commendable pan-Nigerian initiative by refusing to be coaxed or intimidated in their resolve to rightly and rightfully canvass northern votes for only the Southwest chairmanship aspirants. Indeed, their position is very appropriate and validly tenable particularly as it's about an extremely vital office like the National party Chairmanship. This is a demonstration of nationalistic fairness and it's advisable for other zonal elders to emulate this principle stance. I not only salute them over their sterling courage and sensible love for Nigeria; I humbly wish to appeal that they encourage their delegates to disregard the lure of monetary inducements by these selfish agents of our ignominious past errors. I passionately appeal also to credible nationalists, major stakeholders and leaders of thoughts from the Southeast and the South-south to follow suit by advising their delegates to support the Southwest legitimate quest for national chairmanship in the best interests of the PDP with less emphasis on money. However, those delegates who insist on taking from whatever unethical state funds misappropriation being boasted of, should be enlightened of the overriding advantages of voting rightly to signify that the PDP and indeed our future is not for sale. It is by our actions as is necessary for us to display now, that we could teach our public office holders that the public treasury is not their haven of arbitrarily wasteful misadventures. Rather, public funds should and must be expended on the socio-economic development of the area and people concerned.
I admire the resilience and doggedly focused fighting spirit of Gov Wike. He is qualified and entitled to increased national relevance and prominence. However, his present voyage of becoming the "Lord of the manor" is logically infeasible. He needs to be cautious and avoid becoming a prey to the mischievous Makarfi presidential inordinate ambition. More importantly, imposing his choice national chairmanship aspirant on the PDP would serve him more harm than good. There is practically no way he can assume pragmatic leadership over all these established Nothern leaders as well as the untired credible leaders from the Southwest, Southeast and even his own South-south. If he succeeds in this current adventure, he would have a PDP that would have become majorly a southern party to manage. And PDP as a southern party in Nigeria is empirically an empty shell of no major national relevance. If that is not hid goal,; he is better off with a rethink and forget this ongoing overlord adventure. Gov Wike's Rivers state has always been a wealthy Nigerian oil state; governors had existed before him without from that position becoming Nigerian political Lord, not out of being timid or unqualified. And after Gov Wike, there would still be successively governors of Rivers state. The process of becoming Nigerian superior leader is divinely without deliberate self-induced manipulations. I beg of Gov Wike to save the PDP of this avoidable calamity and possible collapse by allowing voice of reason to prevail. He should like in Makarfi's case of selfish betrayal of the North, be also circumspect of Gov Fayose who is currently swimming against the tide of ocean in his native Southwest. That Fayose in frustration declared to run for the Presidency already zoned to the North is an empirical evidence of his confused state of mind as his gubernatorial tenure is about to terminate. Wike needs to tend his bright political future within the Nigeria nations rather than playing broke like these characters whose political relevance is terminating.
Finally, I reiterate passionately, my appeal to ALL delegates to as it affects the national chairmanship contest, support ONLY the Southwest aspirants to assist in saving the PDP, our party, from this avoidable self destruction. In this light, it's further advisable to logically request that delegates vote massively for the generally acclaimed Southwest aspirant without corruption or any public service stain widely not unknown; to make the desirable support of the Southwest national chairmanship realisable and meaningfully effectual. No amount of petty monetary inducements can equate the dividends derivable from a prosperous Nigeria under a re-invented and better structured PDP truly national party.
Long live Nigeria!
Long live the PDP!!
PDP - Power to the
people!!!
*Sen Buruji Kashamu*
Equity is fundamentally about fairness to all people in every situation irrespective of peculiar shortcomings. That's a basic attraction of democracy for providing fair opportunities to all people. In Nigeria, the founding fathers of PDP responding to the equitable peculiarities; institutionalised the national zoning arrangements by making it constitutional. This is the foundation upon which PDP was built as a truly national party. It involves negotiated distribution of public offices in open and transparent inter-zonal negotiated concesus. For such zoning procedure to be harmonious and with acrimony; a virile national party leadership founded on earned trust, sincerity of purpose and selfless impartiality is a vital pathfinder which major stakeholders would rally behind. That virile and selfless national party leadership is lacking in the current National caretaker committee. As it were, PDP is currently under a "one chance" national party leadership that is propelled by egocentric agenda of working to achieve predetermined self-serving goals. This egocentric agenda could ruin our party while this opportunistic national leadership couldn't be bothered or are probably unawared of the enormity of their actions, having been overwhelmed by myopic illusions and petty selfishness. It has thus become imperative for the majority of the visionary and committed leaders, major stakeholders and convention delegates to rise to the responsibility of saving the PDP at the forthcoming national convention. I accordingly make this clarion call to all PDP stakeholders to rise up to the challenge.
Devoid of being parochial coming from the Southwest, my position is borne out of nationalistic sentiments and quest for equitable justice and fairplay upon only which the PDP can thrive and win national elections again. Without prejudice to anybody's right to contest irrespective of the established zoning arrangements, it's an open secret that the PDP national chairmanship has been conceded to the Southwest pre-Portharcourt convention. As of consequence of this, other positions zoned to the southwest were innocuous deputies to substantive offices except the Treasurer. Even the Deputy national secretary that is a member of the NWC wasn't included. All these were because of the vital national chairmanship already conceded to the Southwest. Infact, if elections were to hold then, a particular promising young politician from Lagos, Southwest could have won. With the aberration that the Makarfi emergence was, the centre cannot hold again given his jaundiced selfish presidential ambition without considerations to all concerned.
Agreed that the only thing constant in life is change, but if a consensual stand is to be changed; won't all concerned be carried all for re-enactment of appropriately new concesus? Must it be done in nauseating administrative manipulations and uncultured disdain of flaunting state wealth as war chest to bribe delegates as is currently happening? It is only reasonable and fair that a new all-inclusive stakeholders meeting be called, where necessary re-zoning of key party posts from the South would be rescheduled to enable the national chairmanship become open to all southern zones. Similarly, the previously held concesus of the Vice-president coming from the Southeast in 2019 would accordingly be revoked for all Southern zones including the Southwest to contend as is happening now.
The PDP Southeast needs to be categorical now in support of the Southwest on the ongoing national chairmanship tussle between the Southwest and the South-south. Quite honestly, the logical implication of this avoidable tussle is to make uncertain, the settled Southeast Vice-presidential quest in 2019. If the Southeast expectedly takes a principled stance in rightful support of the Southwest, naturally as a reliable tribe in adherence to agreements, the Yoruba PDP would reciprocate without any prompting. What is currently happening is glaringly an orchestrated assault on the Southwest to end up with nothing in 2019, with the disgusting connivance of the national party administrators. This is a dangerously illogical political permutation for 2019 national elections. Infact, Makarfi is disastrously the major impediment to a successful forthcoming national convention and credibly feasible permutations towards 2019. His inept leadership style is an unimaginable jeopardy to this party. How can a credible national leadership disqualify self from finding solution to a ranging disorder in some zones of the federation by leaving the people there to their funerals to find solutions? However, this same clueless Makarfi leadership can invoke authority to dissolve valid state exco from these zones, even in disobedience to substituting court judgements and sell the party structures there to his compromised allies. Ironically, such a clown dreams of becoming the President of the federation!!!
Indeed, the PDP Northern Elders Forum have demonstrated enviably commendable pan-Nigerian initiative by refusing to be coaxed or intimidated in their resolve to rightly and rightfully canvass northern votes for only the Southwest chairmanship aspirants. Indeed, their position is very appropriate and validly tenable particularly as it's about an extremely vital office like the National party Chairmanship. This is a demonstration of nationalistic fairness and it's advisable for other zonal elders to emulate this principle stance. I not only salute them over their sterling courage and sensible love for Nigeria; I humbly wish to appeal that they encourage their delegates to disregard the lure of monetary inducements by these selfish agents of our ignominious past errors. I passionately appeal also to credible nationalists, major stakeholders and leaders of thoughts from the Southeast and the South-south to follow suit by advising their delegates to support the Southwest legitimate quest for national chairmanship in the best interests of the PDP with less emphasis on money. However, those delegates who insist on taking from whatever unethical state funds misappropriation being boasted of, should be enlightened of the overriding advantages of voting rightly to signify that the PDP and indeed our future is not for sale. It is by our actions as is necessary for us to display now, that we could teach our public office holders that the public treasury is not their haven of arbitrarily wasteful misadventures. Rather, public funds should and must be expended on the socio-economic development of the area and people concerned.
I admire the resilience and doggedly focused fighting spirit of Gov Wike. He is qualified and entitled to increased national relevance and prominence. However, his present voyage of becoming the "Lord of the manor" is logically infeasible. He needs to be cautious and avoid becoming a prey to the mischievous Makarfi presidential inordinate ambition. More importantly, imposing his choice national chairmanship aspirant on the PDP would serve him more harm than good. There is practically no way he can assume pragmatic leadership over all these established Nothern leaders as well as the untired credible leaders from the Southwest, Southeast and even his own South-south. If he succeeds in this current adventure, he would have a PDP that would have become majorly a southern party to manage. And PDP as a southern party in Nigeria is empirically an empty shell of no major national relevance. If that is not hid goal,; he is better off with a rethink and forget this ongoing overlord adventure. Gov Wike's Rivers state has always been a wealthy Nigerian oil state; governors had existed before him without from that position becoming Nigerian political Lord, not out of being timid or unqualified. And after Gov Wike, there would still be successively governors of Rivers state. The process of becoming Nigerian superior leader is divinely without deliberate self-induced manipulations. I beg of Gov Wike to save the PDP of this avoidable calamity and possible collapse by allowing voice of reason to prevail. He should like in Makarfi's case of selfish betrayal of the North, be also circumspect of Gov Fayose who is currently swimming against the tide of ocean in his native Southwest. That Fayose in frustration declared to run for the Presidency already zoned to the North is an empirical evidence of his confused state of mind as his gubernatorial tenure is about to terminate. Wike needs to tend his bright political future within the Nigeria nations rather than playing broke like these characters whose political relevance is terminating.
Finally, I reiterate passionately, my appeal to ALL delegates to as it affects the national chairmanship contest, support ONLY the Southwest aspirants to assist in saving the PDP, our party, from this avoidable self destruction. In this light, it's further advisable to logically request that delegates vote massively for the generally acclaimed Southwest aspirant without corruption or any public service stain widely not unknown; to make the desirable support of the Southwest national chairmanship realisable and meaningfully effectual. No amount of petty monetary inducements can equate the dividends derivable from a prosperous Nigeria under a re-invented and better structured PDP truly national party.
Long live Nigeria!
Long live the PDP!!
PDP - Power to the
people!!!
*Sen Buruji Kashamu*
Monday, 4 December 2017
RE: EKITI COURT OF APPEAL RULING ON SOUTH WEST ZONAL EXCO
RE: EKITI COURT OF APPEAL RULING ON SOUTH WEST ZONAL EXCO
The attention of the authentic South West Zonal Executive under my leadership has been drawn to today’s (Monday, 4th December, 2017) ruling of the Court of Appeal, Ekiti Division and a press statement credited to one Eddy Olafeso who has continued to contemptuously lay claim to the leadership of the party in the zone.
First, it should be made abundantly clear that the order for a stay of execution relates to the orders and rulings in Suit No. FHC/AD/CS/18/2017.
Let all our notable leaders, elders and supporters, it does not in any way detract from the implications of the orders and judgment of the court in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/605/2016 which specifically nullified the sham congress from which Olafeso claimed to have emerged and then went ahead to confirm my four years tenure as expiring in October 2018 having been elected in October 2014.
I wish to state that in spite of the inexplicable decision of the Court of Appeal, Ado-Ekiti Division, to make an order even when there was no evidence that we (the defendants) had been served and had no legal representation in court, my Exco remains strong and undaunted.
Even our former lawyers who handled the matter at the trial court said they were served at about 4pm on Thursday, the 30th of November, 2017 and parties were summoned to appear in court on Monday, the 4th of December, 2017. It is a matter of public knowledge that the 1st of December, 2017, is a public holiday in Nigeria, while the 2nd and 3rd of December, 2017, are non-working days, being Saturday and Sunday respectively. The implication of this travesty of justice was that we were unable to brief a lawyer to file any response to the two motions before they came up today and an order for stay of execution of the orders of the trial court was granted. Clearly, this violates our right to fair hearing.
It was on the basis of this that in addition to the letter I had written to the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ekiti Division and copied to the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA) and the Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN), I was personally in court to plead with the justices to give us an adjournment of a day or two for our new counsel to respond to the motions filed before the court.
But, the court in its wisdom brushed aside my plea and went ahead to grant the stay of execution without affording us the benefit of a legal representation and fair hearing.
Although my confidence in the judiciary as the hope of the common man is unwavering, I cannot say the same thing of the panel sitting over this matter. The haste with which it has handled this matter against the principles of justice and fair hearing, the panel seems to have descended into the arena of partisan politics.
It will be recalled that the Federal High Court had ordered the Olafeso faction to stop parading itself as executive members of the party in the South-West.
The order of the Ado-Ekiti Division of the Federal High Court was based on the fact that the Lagos Division of the court had in17th of May, 2016, the congress that produced the Olafeso group having been held in violation of subsisting orders of the court.
The court had also held that the four years tenure of the Ogundipe-led zonal exco expires in 2018 having been elected in October 2014.
In a ruling delivered in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/605/2016 on the 17th of May, 2016, the court held “That an order is granted nullifying the South West congress conducted on the 14th of May, 2016 in Akure, which was so conducted in defiance of the order of this court made in this action on the 11th of May 2016 restraining the 2nd, 3rd and 4thDefendants from conducting or permitting or recognizing any election into the offices of the South West Zonal Executive Committee pending the hearing and determination of the Originating Summons…Everything built on actions in defiance of a court order is a nullity.”
Furthermore, in a final judgment delivered on the 24th of June, 2016, the court categorically stated, “That an order is granted to the Plaintiff restraining the 2nd, 3rd and 4thDefendants from conducting or permitting or recognizing any election into the offices of the South West Zonal Executive Committee until October, 2018, when the four years term of the current officers, including the Plaintiff would have been spent.
“That an order is granted to the Plaintiff directing the 1st Defendant not to recognize any other persons apart from the current officers of the South West Zonal Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party as set out in the result sheet for Zonal Congress for election of Zonal Executive members dated the 11th of October, 2014 until their four year term expires in October, 2018.”
I understand that the amateurs are misconstruing the Supreme Court judgment. It is a matter of public knowledge that the Olafeso group never had any case before the Supreme Court that they could benefit from.
Chapter 1 (General Provision) Sections 1, 2, & 3 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria states that, “(a) The Fed. Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed nor shall any person or group of persons take control of the Government of Nigeria. (b) If any other law (PDP convention/decision) is inconsistent with the provision of this Constitution (the court decision), this Constitution shall prevail. In essence, the court decision in favor of the Ogun State PDP executive stand.
In the light of the above, I wish to appeal to all our supporters to remain calm; for, as light triumphs over darkness, the truth will soon catch up with their lies sooner than later.
Signed
Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe
National Vice-Chairman, PDP, South West

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