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.

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*

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



Kashamu Receives Heroic Welcome In Sagamu

Kashamu Receives Heroic Welcome In Sagamu

Overwhelming crowd surged to welcome the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Buruji Kashamu to Sagamu Local Government Area on Sunday.

The lawmaker who was received on arrival to the Local Government Area by the Peoples Democratic Party leaders and members abandoned  his motorcade to identify with the crowd who had already gathered in the street to welcome him.

The crowd cheered as the lawmaker walked to the party secretariat, screaming “Alanu mekunu, olowo ton fowo sanu,  kaabo si Sagamu, meaning “a friend of the masses, welcome to Sagamu”.

The lawmaker earlier paid homage to the Akarigbo elect, HRM Oba Adewale Babatunde Ajayi (Iluyomade Ilufemiloye Torungbuwa II) at his Sagamu residence in company of the Ogun PDP chairman, Engr. Adebayo Dayo, Prince Segun Seriki, the Ogun East PDP Senatorial chairman, Hon. Daisi Akintan, the Ogun State coordinator of Omoilu Foundation, Mr. Leke Shittu, the State organising secretary of the party, Hon. Koye Ijaduoye among others.

Kashamu Donates New 500KVA Transformer to Community

Kashamu Donates New 500KVA Transformer to Community

JOY became palpable among residents of Sotubo community in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State on Thursday as the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Buruji Kashamu donated a new 500KVA electricity transformer to the community to aid power supply to the area.

Handling over the transformer to the community leaders, the Ogun State coordinator of Omoilu Foundation, Mr. Leke Shittu said the gesture was in fulfillment of the lawmaker's electioneering promises to residents of the community.

Speaking on behalf of the people of Sotubo, Mr. Olutayo Oguntade thanked the lawmaker for reedeming his pledge.

"As you can see, we have a very big sawmill in Sotubo. We operate on generator everyday, the cost of running a diesel generator is high and is seriously affecting business activities here. This donation is timely.

"Senator Kashamu is a man of his words. If others are like him Nigeria will be a more better place to live. Business activities will now boom more in Sotubo. We are grateful to him for having us in mind," he said.

The people of Sotubo poured encomium on the lawmaker for donating the transformer, and for his listening ear, empathy and swift response to the need of the people.

The donation of the electricity transformer by the lawmaker is expected to boost power supply in the area.

Makarfi should resign now

Makarfi should resign now !

It is increasingly disturbing and  rather untidy the role Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee is presently playing in the processes towards the party national convention on December 9, this year.
Apparently spurred by personal ambition of contesting for the Presidential office in 2019, Makarfi is brazenly allying with a particular aspirant in the South-South to deliberately distort the process, muddle equity and invariably destroy the democratic process for transient personal gains.
Makarfi’s Action, to put it mildly, is sickening, untoward, blatantly tendentious , totally stripped of the typical moral high ground that often defines a well meaning, God- fearing arbitrating leadership.
Everywhere you look, Makarfi is planting the agents of his favorite South-South candidate to stage manage  warped and skewed congresses in an undisguised mockery of all the normative patterns of our founding fathers whose enduring forte about equity, justice and fairness is now being flung into the gutter. In a way, Makarfi is evidently resolved to repeat the farcical malady that characterized the debacle in Port Harcourt last year.
We have equally resolved that we will not be led along this ruinous path again. Never !
For the sake of propriety, for the sake of all that is good and meaningful, for the sake of equitable balance and moral appropriateness, we strongly advise Senator Makarfi to resign his position forthwith because he has been severely compromised. He can no longer play the role of a neutral arbiter who stands far above the fray. He is already tarred and soiled in the muddy waters of partisan prejudice. Makarfi should now do the most honorable thing by walking away and face his ambition squarely. He cannot use a privilege non-elective position to wangle undue advantages to his own side. It is patently unacceptable.
We need to redeem our party by being faithful to the great ideals of our founding fathers. We really believe that elders of the party across the nation should summon an emergency summit to deliberate on the right way to restrategize  our party and rectify the wrongs on the ground . All the elders across the zones must take it as a priority that this party can only be redeemed and restore to its winning ways when we are all sincere, genuine, and anchored on the path of salvaging righteousness.

⁃ Alhaji Ibrahim  K. Aliu (OFR)
⁃ Director General Bode George Campaign Organization.
⁃ 21/11/ 2017

Kashamu: Makarfi’s tenure is a disaster

Kashamu: Makarfi’s tenure is a disaster

Introduction

The tenure of the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee (NCC), Senator Ahmed Makarfi is a disaster and the worst nightmare for our party. Going by the outcome of the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State, it is clear that Makarfi and his allies have brought ill-luck to the PDP.

Makarfi and his team came as if they were the saviour that PDP was waiting for but they have turned out to be the ones who are killing the party with their illegality, impunity and self-centredness. They believe they can do anything and get away with it. They did it in Anambra where all the popular aspirants were disenfranchised and the ticket was sold against democratic norms. Today, the party is the worse off for the dastardly act of these interim caretakers. It was bad enough that the interim National Secretary, Senator Ben Obi lost his ward; that the constituents were rejoicing over his disgraceful loss is indicative of outright communal irrelevance. This calls for concern from our national leaders that specialise in unreasonable harmonisations and impositions of unpopular candidates over the popular ones.

The Issue

Ahead of the December 9 National Convention, it is regrettable that Makarfi is surprisingly betraying his primordial constituency, the North and reducing the PDP to a Southern or regional party because of his selfish presidential agenda. But, I know that the average Northerner is politically conscious, sagacious and dynamic. Thus, logic is likely to prevail over the thinking that elections at the national convention shall be a bazaar for the highest bidder, irrespective of the likely hazard to the existence of the party, would be averted. This will discourage the misappropriation of state funds for unworthy political misadventures.

At the rate Makarfi and his people are going, anyone who wants to become anything in PDP would have to first go and pay obeisance to a demi-god in Rivers State and his orchestra special assistant from Afao-Ekiti, Ekiti State. One is thus tempted to wonder why Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike wants to become the defacto lord of PDP? And to what advantage would that be to him if the party is dismembered in the process?

 Even though I know that our respectable leader and Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike means well for the party, he should endeavor to be a national leader without self-aggrandisement. He should not allow Makarfi and Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose to mislead him and plunge the party further into avoidable crises because of their egocentric agenda.

I reckon that in the build up to the National Convention and the election of national officers for the PDP, Governor Wike has a right like other governors to support whoever he wishes to support. But as a foremost leader of the party, he should show uncommon grace and leadership at this crucial time so that whatever he does would not be misinterpreted to mean riding roughshod over other stakeholders and leaders.

I do not have anything against his support for the two eminently qualified National Chairmanship aspirants from the South-South. They are respectable leaders and party men for whom I have a lot of admiration. But, having sat with all the leaders of the party in Port Harcourt where the National Chairmanship was zoned to the South-West, if our brothers from the South-South now wish that the position be rezoned to them, a meeting should be called where such a position will be canvassed with a view to getting the confidence and support of the South West geo-political zone. That way, the other offices can be appropriately rezoned without any rancor and ill-feelings.

Makarfi is fragmenting and commercializing the party structures in the South West and giving PDP state structures to the weak and highest bidders against democratic ethos. One wonders how the PDP can make any impact in 2019 with the activities of the Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee and its backers. If we say we want to bounce back in 2019, is it with this crop of leaders whose stock-in-trade is imposition, lawlessness, impunity and extortions? How can Fayose who is accused of having benefitted from the N15 billion arms deal lead the PDP to face President Buhari? We all know that in spite of whatever anyone may say, the credibility of the President is unquestionable.

Actually, it is unethical and tactless for Makarfi serving as interim National Chairman of PDP to be justifying ongoing corruption cases as being no impediment to leading the new PDP of Nigerians dream and expectations. Makarfi and his cohorts are planning to rig the National Convention in favour of their anointed candidates before the actual event through manipulations, substitution of real delegates and sundry shady preparations. If the convention is rigged, many people are ready to walk away from the party and it will be “to your tents, O Israel!”

Intricacies of 2019 VP candidate

The ongoing egocentric manipulation of agreed zoning arrangement has become a credibility issue of long-standing future implications with Governor Wike sponsoring a South South candidate to challenge a settled South West National Chairmanship and Governor Fayose declaring for President against the also settled Northern presidency; the precedence is unethically laid for disregard to common agreements.

Therefore, it could be expected that the Vice Presidency would become unduly contentious in the South. This is unfortunate for a party that is planning to form government as the credibility quotient is brought to question with this inconsistency and lack of adherence to agreement.

One wonders if the National Chairmanship goes to the South South, would it be possible for the South East to get the Vice-Presidency in 2019. Are they saying the South West can also vie for the Vice-Presidency alongside the South East in 2019? Or does the South East not have interest in any of the topmost positions again? If it does, why not take a stand and make it known to all and sundry? If the Vice Presidency is not rezoned to the South West, the initial zoning arrangement which conceded the National Chairmanship to the South West should be adhered to.

Otherwise, it shall be politically unsustainable for the South East to have a Vice President under a South South National Chairman. If our brothers in the South-South want, they can back any candidate of their choice from the South West. But it should not be done with impunity and utter disregard for the views and feelings of other stakeholders. We in the South West are one and we are united in our quest to produce the National Chairman. Any semblance of disunity should be discountenanced. Eddy Olafeso was never a product of a valid exercise. So, he is not an issue in the South West PDP and can never speak for us.

Conclusion

Without pretences, party unity and desirable progress are achievable only if the national leadership sincerely adheres to due process and rule of law; be transparent and open to all concerned unlike the ongoing opaque party administration that Makarfi and his cohorts are lawlessly and undeservedly putting the party through.

Signed

Senator Buruji Kashamu

Ogun East Senatorial District

19.11.17

Again, Kashamu donates transformer to community

Again, Kashamu donates transformer to community

Residents of Golden Estate Irewon
in Ijebu North East Local Government Area of Ogun State could not contain their joy and excitement as they received a brand new 500KVA transformer from the lawmaker representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Buruji Kasamu on Tuesday (14/11/2017) in fulfillment of his electioneering promises.

The residents who are majorly civil servants, petty traders and artisans praised and thanked the lawmaker for giving them a new lease of life by donating the transformer to the community after 6 years in the dark.

Handling over the transformer to the people of the area, The Ogun State coordinator of Omoilu Foundation, Mr. Leke Shittu said the project is part of the promises that Senator Kaahamu made to the people in the area during his electioneering campaign. He said the lawmaker would execute more developmental projects that have direct bearing on the people. He urged residents of the community to make good use of the facility and guard it against vandals.

Receiving the transformer on behalf of the community, the Golden Estate community development association chairman, Mr. Olufowomu Olalekan commended Senator Kashamu for the gesture, saying the lawmaker delivered the transformer at the appropriate time.

It will be recalled that Senator Kashamu donated a brand new 500KVA transformer to Maamu community in Ijebu North Local Government Area few days ago as part of his effort to ameliorate the challenges encountered in generation and distribution of power in the area.

KASHAMU: LET'S SAVE THE PDP FROM IMPOSITION

KASHAMU: LET'S SAVE THE PDP FROM IMPOSITION

PREAMBLE
Constitutionally, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has institutionalised the zoning system as a means of equitable political relationship amongst Nigeria’s six geographical zones. This is evidently the strength of the party as rightly envisioned by her founding fathers. No structure can stand without its foundation being in place. It is therefore akin to rupturing the PDP foundation if the zoning agreements and/or ethics are jeopardized under the pretence of some other rights, no matter how tenable or legal. Consequently, it is imperative for all PDP stakeholders to rise up to the challenge of saving the party from the unfolding schemes of few of our leaders to selfishly rock the boat.

THE ISSUES
It is not hidden that prior to the emergence of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee, a generally acceptable zoning of national exco positions have been reached; where the national chairmanship was zoned to the South, on the understanding that the next presidential candidate shall be of northern extraction. Major stakeholders in the party also felt it would be equitable and just to further concede the national chairmanship position to the South West which has not had the privilege of producing the National Chairman of the party since inception. The mandate of the Makarfi-led caretaker committee was straightforward and simply to hold forth in the interim and organise a free and fair elective national convention for the emergence of the national exco. Unfortunately, the activities of Sen. Makarfi have been everything to the contrary. He had been going about not even as an elected national chairman with full tenure but much more ridiculously like a sole administrator with timeless tenure under the disguise of solving one problem or the other. Sen. Makarfi has allowed his egocentric presidential ambition to blindfold him. He has been illegally tinkering with duly elected state excos with the intention of substituting them with allies sympathetic to his ambition sliced with greed of selling state structures with impunity. He has disorganised the South West PDP for selfish manipulations with his cohorts, chief amongst whom is the uncultured and erratic Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose.

As if the disorganisation of the South West structures is not enough; Makarfi has clandestinely abdicated the leadership role of ensuring an acceptable micro-zoning, he left the national chairmanship hitherto conceded to the South West for a free-for-all among the three southern zones. This is to complicate issues among the South and make Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike unfairly positioned to impose a National Chairman of his choice. The major South-South contestants, Prince Uche Secondus and High Chief Raymond Dokpesi are eminently qualified for the National Chairmanship of our party, except for the process and implications of a unilateral imposition.

Firstly, it should be noted that Makarfi's antics of problem creations and endorsements are meant to warrant unending crises aimed at perpetuating himself in this interim position to further structure his selfish presidential emergence. It is indeed funny that Makarfi that has evidently shown lack of requisite capacity to be the National Chairman is dreaming of becoming the President of Nigeria. He is a bundle of betrayal even worse than Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. It is rather advisable that he be contended with monies realised from commercialising of PDP state structures and channel efforts at managing other germane issues. Sensibly, all major PDP stakeholders now have to unite to ease him out of office on the 9th of December, 2017, without further tenure extension.

I have been in wide consultations with a lot of our eminent leaders nationally and extensively with major stakeholders in the South West, particularly the chairmanship aspirants. It has been generally discovered that it would serve the best interests of the PDP for the agreed zoning arrangements before the Port Harcourt  convention creation of the Makarfi caretaker committee be adhered to. Given his position in the scheme of things, Governor Wike should be a national leader rather than championing tribal interests or desire to unilaterally hijack the control of the PDP. He should appreciate the futility of a unilateral control by him given the array of eminent leaders in the South East and South South like Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Governor Seriake Dickson, Governor Ben Ayade and Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, among others.

Preliminary consensus amongst major South West stakeholders inclusive of the chairmanship aspirants is for the South West to unite under one zonal exco. Thus, it is being proposed that the Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe and Dr. Eddy Olafeso zonal excos be harmonised into a generally acceptable wholesome zonal exco. In this light, a global meeting of over 250 eminent leaders is being proposed soonest at Ibadan, Oyo State, to fashion out a generally acceptable unified Yoruba position in the PDP.

CONCLUSION
I have no personal issues with anybody as my guiding principles have always been equitable justice, disdain for impunity and adherence to the Rule of the Law. I love my people very dearly and I have readily been working for them. Also, my people evidently love me so much that my winning election is not predicated on party platform. I am therefore constrained to always work for the greater interest of my people. A lot of PDP leaders are this loved and lucky with their people, thus we need to be extremely careful not to frustrate people out of PDP because of impunity. A stitch in time saves nine.

Signed:
Senator Buruji Kashamu,
Ogun East Senatorial District

13.11.17

Foundation empowers 3 in Ogun

Foundation empowers 3 in Ogun



....Donates N. 1M to Celestial Church of Christ




Two business men and a woman have been empowered by the Senator Buruji Kashamu-inspired Omoilu Foundation with a sum of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) each in Ogun State.



The coordinator of the Foundation in Ogun State, Mr. Leke Shittu, said the gesture was aimed at helping people become business owners.



He said that the beneficiaries would, in addition to the cash given to them, be trained on how to be successful in their business and would be closely monitored, hoping that they would emerge as successful business people   in the near future.



"In our organisation, we don't just assist people with start-up capital for their business, we also put them through the rudiment of the business. One thing is to get the cash for a business another thing is to know the in-and out of the business.



"We are glad that over 5,000 petty traders that benefitted from the first phase of our interest free loan scheme across the State are doing very well and by the special grace of God we shall kick-start  the second phase of the loan scheme soon," Shittu said.



Speaking further, Shittu said the objective behind the interest free loan scheme and the ongoing empowerment programme across the State is to ensure that people with bright business ideas, have the  opportunity to turn these ideas into reality, which will in turn reduce unemployment in the State.



The beneficiaries are Mr. Samuel Olayinka Soneye, Mrs. Adebambo Adebimpe and Mr. Giwa Adedeji



In a similar vein, the Foundation donated a sum of N100,00 to Celestial Church of Christ Idera parish in Sagamu Local Government Area as part of its contribution to the renovation of the Church.



Receiving a cheque of N100,000 on behalf of the Church, Shepard Wahab Emmanuel, thanked the founder of the Foundation, Senator Kashamu for the donation.

PDP Chairmanship: corruption trial a big obstacle, Kashamu tells Daniel

PDP Chairmanship: corruption trial a big obstacle, Kashamu tells Daniel


The Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Buruji Kashamu has countered the claim by the former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel that the corruption charges against him (Daniel) is not an obstacle to his bid to be the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Daniel who spoke in Abuja on Wednesday, when he went to pick his nomination form for the National Chairmanship position of the party, described his trial as persecution by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.

Kashamu in a statement today said in saner climes, anyone standing trial steers clear of running for office until he is vindicated.

Debunking the claim of persecution by Daniel, Kashamu said the corruption started under a PDP-led Federal Government, “so, the claim of being persecuted does not hold water”.

According to him, Daniel’s claim that his trial for corruption is not an obstacle to his aspiration shows that he does not understand the seriousness attached to the position of the National Chairman of an opposition party.

“For someone standing trial for stealing of public funds, bribery, fraudulent conversion of public property and false declaration of assets to claim these do not constitute a hindrance to his aspiration to lead our great party shows that he is not worthy of the high office he seeks to occupy,” he said.

Kashamu stated that the PDP National Chairman is the face of the party, adding that, “If the party elects Daniel who is standing trial for corruption, it is indicative that it (party) condones corruption and it is for corrupt people.

“This perception will adversely affect the party’s fortune. The PDP stands a chance to reinvent itself and improves its rating among the populace if it positions itself as a party that is ready to make a clean break from its sordid past,” he said.

The Senator said the PDP lost the 2015 general election largely because of its perception as a corrupt party for corrupt people.

“We should not repeat the mistake of 2015. This starts with electing who is not tainted by corruption charges or has an image deficit as Daniel,” Kashamu added.

Contrary to Daniel’s assertion that the crisis in the Ogun State chapter of the party was being orchestrated by allies of the former National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sherrif, Kashamu said the problem has its roots in the inordinate ambition of Daniel and his cohorts to usurp the powers of the validly elected State Executive Committee of the party led by Engr. Adebayo Dayo which had emerged before the national leadership crisis between Sherrif and Senator Ahmed Makarfi broke out.

RE: Ogun PDP Secretariat invasion Matters Arising from the Sikirulai Ogundele dissident group*

*RE: Ogun PDP Secretariat invasion Matters Arising from the Sikirulai Ogundele dissident group*


The Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party ably led by Engr. Adebayo Dayo has taken cognizance of the infantile, vacuous and poorly-put-together statement by the Sikirulai Ogundele-led dissident group with regards to the invasion and brigandage that the same self-styled outlaws perpetrated at the party's State Secretariat two days ago.


Ordinarily this type of statement put together by a consortium of desperados, is patently unworthy and ought not be dignified with any response; but for those who may be befuddled by the rantings, it is important we realign the issues and educate their minds so that they may attune themselves to what is the existential realities as far as Ogun PDP is concerned and in order for them not to continue this derisive revelry of 'adults rolling in the mud'

Now the issues have been compartmentalized into three, namely: The Supreme Court judgement and it's derivatives. The second is, The decision of the August 12th, 2017 non-elective convention. The third is, The substance of the invasion of the Party secretariat. Now we react as follows:


1. The Supreme Court judgement and it's derivatives:

The grand mistake that Senator Ahmed Makarfi's National Caretaker Committee (NCC) and his collaborators nationwide made in the aftermath of the Supreme Court judgement is that, they 'assumed' that judgement to be omnipotent, universal and a one-fit-all-jacket, that is applicable to all political situations within the PDP.


Whereas, the constitution of the PDP and the National Convention itself, are supreme document and superintending organ of the party respectively, they do not have superior powers over the grundnorm - The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN). A ruling or judgement of any court in Nigeria conveys the authority and force of the constitution and is not only superior to any other law, it is binding on every citizen therein. Chapter 1, subsections 1, 3 of the CFRN and Article 1, subsection 2 of the PDP constitution refers.


The case that was fought all the way to the Supreme Court (SC) had to do with the tussle for PDP national leadership, 'strictu sensu' between Sheriff and Makarfi. This has no congruence with the contention in ogun PDP. The emergence of the Engr Adebayo Dayo executive was concluded and approved by the 71st NEC long before the Porthacourt Convention that birthed Makarfi NCC.


What more, a Federal High Court judgement in suit FHC/LS/636/2016, had also validated the Congress that produced the Dayo executive long before Makarfi's NCC charade. Pray therefore, how does Makarfi's victory confer legitimacy on a dissident group of impostors from ogun state? It assaults logic for this antidemocratic elements to have assumed that having illegally pronounced themselves as parallel excos of the Party in ogun state, that the financial enticement and sympathetic affiliation with Makarfi could have made them become beneficiaries of the SC judgement - by inference!


What Makarfi and his allies in ogun state forgot is that the SC judgement did not give them 'wide and wild' powers to continuously contrive illegalities. The eminent jurists that delivered the judgement, despite its being fundamentally defective (a topic for another day) did not envisage that it will become a tool and licence for Makarfi to disregard valid court orders/judgements that predated it or will come after it - in matters that are exclusive of the case that went to the SC.


The sanctity of judicial pronouncements must not only be preserved, it's interpretation must be sacred; otherwise, men will become animals. What Sikirulai and his ilk did not envisage by their jaundiced assumptions on the SC judgement is that, Makarfi may come in to Abeokuta tomorrow, rape the wife of a party member and go away a free man - just because the SC has said he is the Chairman of the PDP and can do with blue murder!

Essentially, the FHC judgement validating Engr Adebayo in ogun state leadership matter is exclusive of the SC judgement validating Makarfi in national leadership matter; suffer to say that those hoping to domesticate Makarfi's victory in ogun state must be hallucinating and living in delusion of the bluest dye.


2. The decision of the August 12th, 2017 non-elective convention.

The National Convention in exercise of its powers, reserves the right to dissolve a state exco; but despite its supreme power in PDP matters, it does not have the right to dissolve an exco that has a FHC judgment protecting it 'inter alia'. As stated earlier, an FHC judgement has the force of the Federal constitution and it is superior to any party's statues. What Makarfi's NCC ought to have done in the case of ogun state is to look for a window to appeal that judgement (if at all it still exist) and not the ludicrous action of constituting itself into an appelate court by unilaterally dissolving it - hiding under the umbrella of the "Convention". It is illegal, preposterous and wayward excercise of unjustifiable judicial rights.


It may be have been convinient for Sikirulai Ogundele and his promoters to accept such dissolution because his executive never existed in the first instance. His case is that of the biblical woman who stood before King Herod in contention with another woman for the legitimate ownership of a baby. The genuine mother of that baby never conceded to have the child dismembered into two parts, but the fake mother was content with having the child killed and sliced. Engr. Adebayo Dayo will never allow his exco killed on the altar of unreasonable, foolish and illegal political expediency; but for the dissidents, it suits their selfish motives.


May the day never come when orders of the court no longer have the force execution and men go their way in blatant disregard. The folly in the argument propounded by Malik Ibitoye in the watery statement is that, no matter the powers of the convention, it can never impose itself on the national constitution. Adebayo Dayo exco was established by the PDP constitution and protected by the national constitution (via FHC), therefore the convention in this instance is limited and it's pronouncement on our executive is invalid, 'ultra vires', null and void; and having no consequence before the Law.


3.  The substance of the invasion of the Party secretariat.

Let it be quickly noted that the statement under reference here as regards to the invasion of the Party secretariat was a cocktail of lies and innuendos unbeffiting of honourable men. Sikirulai Ogundele and his band of invaders not only lack concience, they are morally belligerent and murderous. It will be recalled that an Abeokuta Magistrate Court had on 2nd November, 2017 restrained the conduct of any new congress in ogun state and in that ruling - warned of the consequence of disobedience. The ruling further ordered the security agencies to swoop on anyone found in contravention of the subsisting order.


Now, in defiance of that order, a social gathering was held in Abeokuta purportedly in the name of a state congress. It wouldn't matter who conducted it, be it the illegal caretaker committee or Eddy Olafeso - who himself is a 'persona non grata' before the Law going by the ruling of an Ado-Ekiti FHC. Not done with that imprudent defiance, these elements had the temerity to storm the Party secretariat in a gestapo attempt to unseat the legitimate executive via brute force.


Contrary to the blatant lies told in the Ibitoye signed statement, they came without express permission of any security outfit. What actually transpired was that, they left the Onikolobo Legacy House where they hatched the evil plan to invade us and maim/kill our officials. They branched at the SARS office in Magbon and recruited a detachment to accompany them to take over the secretariat. They indeed followed but stayed a few meters away from the gate; ostensibly mindful of the illegal nature of the assignment.


Sikirulai and his marauders then barged inside, in company of about 30 thugs and police officers attached to Ladi Adebutu. They unleashed terror on staffs and inquired of Engr Bayo Dayo and Semiu Sodipo, with intention to maim and possibly murder them. Those two escaped but others were unlucky. The bandits vandalized the offices, looted many items and carted away vital documents. It must be noted that is the second time Ogundele is invading the party secretariat having done same on the eve of our congress in 2016; for which he still standing criminal trials.


They danced around the facility in full glare of the media and chanted songs of war and victory. The political faces among them left a few minutes after, leaving behind the recruited thugs and street urchins to secure the place. We however moved in with the appropriate security agencies that mopped up the hoodlums and arraigned them in court for trials to commence soon. It is therefore surprising for them to now allude that those arrested where party members who were in the secretariat. This is most pathetic and shameful.


Finally, it must be in the interest of anyone who cares to listen that, the rule of law will always be superior to the rule of force. No matter how far lies travel, it will always be caught up by truth. There can be no two leadership of PDP in ogun state and Adebayo Dayo exco is protected till 2020. Those seeking for party control through the backdoor should have a rethink on the tortuous voyage and the attendant consequence to them.



[Signed]:


Bolaji Adeniji

State Publicity Secretary,

Ogun PDP.

08 /11 /2017

Illegal PDP congress in Ogun cannot stand - Kashamu

Illegal PDP congress in Ogun cannot stand - Kashamu



Although he hails from Ogun State, he is no doubt one of the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South West geopolitical zone and easily the largest single financier of the party in the zone. Buruji Kashamu is the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly. In this interview with reporters, he spoke on the state of the PDP in the South West and Ogun State in particular. Excerpts:



How would you react to the conduct of the rescheduled Ogun State PDP congress from which you were reported to have been absent alongside other PDP bigwigs?

That charade is an illegality that cannot stand the test of time and the law. Sooner than later, it will be nullified by the court because it was held in flagrant violation of valid and subsisting judgment and orders of the court.  It was in realisation of these undeniable facts that the respectable and gentleman Barrister Eyitayo Jegede (SAN)-led Ogun State Electoral Congress stayed away from the exercise. Makarfi and his people then arranged for one Eddy Olafeso who claims to be National Vice-chairman of the PDP in the South West to supervise the contraption in spite of subsisting orders of court restraining Olafeso from functioning in that capacity and participating in the forthcoming National Convention and activities leading to it. Now, they claim to have elected one Sikirulai Ogundele as their Chairman. I wish to serve a notice that even though I know that the house of lies built by Makarfi and his stooges will soon collapse, we are more than ready to challenge this illegality up to the apex court. It won't stand as darkness cannot overshadow light.



In a couple of weeks the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the party would be out of office. How would you rate its performance?



Candidly, when the committee was formed, a lot of Nigerians felt it would help to give PDP a breath of fresh air and put an end to the culture of impunity and arbitrariness that the party was known for. But alas, it has created more problems for the party than it came to resolve. From Adamawa to Borno, Kwara to Osun, Lagos to Ogun, Oyo to Ondo and even Ekiti, it is the same story. It is embarrassingly unbecoming for a so-called leader and someone who is in office by virtue of the law to have resolved on continued perpetuation of impunity and glaring disobedience of valid court orders and judgments; all for a misconceived presidential ambition.  His misguided query to me and subsequent reference to a disciplinary committee despite a court order to the contrary, duly served on him, is ridiculous and vexatious. Giving me query for legitimate acts of my political allies without my direct involvement shows Makarfi as grossly unqualified for high public office. The said query further stood logic on its head by insinuating that I instigated the Police to arrest and charge to court his associates in Ogun State PDP. This is indicative of his lack of proper understanding of judicial process and/or that he has allowed selfishly undemocratic aspiration to becloud his decision-making process. It is trite that courts and her orders/judgments would become outright efforts in ridicule if such cannot be enforced. To expect to break valid and subsisting court orders/judgments without repercussions is foolhardy and dishonourable. It is arising from the aforementioned that I have severally advised Senator Makarfi to discontinue his lawless embrace of impunity as PDP National caretaker chairman so as not to put our party into national embarrassment.



But why do you think anyone, most of all a leader, would want to go against court pronouncements?

Interestingly, I understand that Senator Makarfi is misinforming our respected party leaders and governors that his actions are covered by the National Convention and the Supreme Court judgment which he knows is not correct. His real intention is first to create an unfairly favourable state excos and delegates amenable to his presidential ambition through selectively unholy dissolution of state excos for manipulated replacements. Furthermore, it is selfish reasoning that should his undemocratic acts of deliberate impunity be challenged; resultant disorders might enable him a further tenure elongation to afford him the consolidation of certain victory at the presidential primary. Senator Makarfi is grievously in utopian wishes as we won't allow any of his selfish desires to manifest. Since his deliberate disobedience of valid and subsisting court orders and judgments are selfishly motivated rather than by our party's interests, he is being joined in the ongoing lawsuits in his personal capacity for him to effectively take responsibilities for his condemnable acts of abuse of office and contempt of court. By the 9th of December, he will be out of office and the ephemeral nature of the temporary powers he wields now will dawn on him.



One would wonder if you have made efforts to reach Senator Makarfi being a fellow party man and politician…



We did but he deceived us. At some point, he said he would do whatever the court says. One should have been delighted by his most recent response to my several admonitions to him but for subsequent actions taken by him that negate same outright; and I quote Senator Makarfi verbatim, "In this political issue, I really don't have any personal interest. Whatever the Court decides, we will work with it during the short period we have". Now, his deliberate refusal to obey subsisting court judgments that predate his appointment, thereby enabling the initiation of subsequent ones in defence of those disobeyed is indicative of his plans to muddle up the polity with multiple cases to create an unnecessary continued relevance and tenure extension for his caretaker committee. A credible approach would have been to honour subsisting judgments that predate his appointment without much ado.

Therefore, his rumoured presidential ambition is certainly the motive behind all these unthinkable illegalities and undemocratic clandestine moves of Senator Makarfi. Frankly, he needs to fear the Almighty Allah that gave him this chance appointment by being fair to others and ensuring to be seen as not being influenced by personal interests while all his actions indicate desperate manipulations to the contrary. Makarfi seems to forget that no matter how hard human beings try, God's divine wish shall prevail! And if he is sincerely without personal interests in these matters; why is it difficult for him to work with the existing structures and obey subsisting court judgments/orders and thereby redeem his image by issuing a public statement to the effect that he nurses no presidential ambition in 2019. Ideally, operating with a clear unpartisan mind, Senator Makarfi would haveab initio sought sound legal advice over the status of the state excos he inherited, especially those with court judgments which were submitted to him and accordingly make objective decisions on the rightful solution while carrying all parties to the disputes along. This is better than committing scarce party funds to engage senior lawyers to fight valid state excos on behalf of his cronies so as to unfairly supplant them on legitimate excos he selfishly and illegally claimed to dissolve. By the special grace of the Almighty Allah, no matter how difficult and selfishly fixated Makarfi proves to be; he shall be eased out of office without any further elongation and injuries to our party while we protect our democratic rights.



But Senator Makarfi does not come across as a lawless person…He looks cool, calm and easy-going… (Cuts in)

Don’t be deceived. You don’t judge a book by its cover. I used to think so too until I got close to him. Given his education and exposure, one would have expected that he would act differently and refined. One would have thought that Makarfi shouldn't be this seemingly uncoordinated and arbitrary, acting illegally with egocentric logic. Even though psychologists say people’s background tends to influence their behaviours, he cannot be seen to be behaving like motor park touts who are laws unto themselves. At his level, he couldn't ordinarily indulge in illegal activities and impunity just for the fun of it. Therefore, promising to ultimately obey "whatever court decides" upon deliberate contemptuous actions leading to unwarranted conflicts and unnecessary lingering litigations is a disservice to the party and glaring abuse of office. That would be unfortunate and unfair repayment to the civilised system that threw him up. In that process, avoidable calamity might have been irreversibly visited on our party and the society. Isn't it even ridiculous that Senator Makarfi takes his caretaker committee as if it is the same as the conventional and constitutional NWC of the party? Was his mandate at creation not to organise a credible convention for elections into national offices? Before then, a validly constituted NEC of the party had ratified majority of these state excos. Why then against the NEC ratification did Senator Makarfi dissolve valid excos if not selfishly motivated?



Why do you think a man whose leadership position was secured by the court would want to go against court judgments and orders?



Senator Makarfi is deliberately mischievous by wanting to force bitter pills that he and his colleagues won't ever dream of taking, down other people's throat unfairly. If they could go as far as the Supreme Court for justice, how would they expect those with valid judgments even before their judicial vindication to now fold their arms while they rubbish them and their court judgments with impunity?  They refused to realise that political parties are creation of the Nigerian laws and belong rightfully to Nigerians. It does not give some selected people the right to constitute themselves into any untoward claims of ownership. Being privileged within the PDP today doesn't translate into ownership or rights to perpetrate illegality and vindictiveness over others.



Take for instance their handling of the Ogun PDP exco matter. There are valid and subsisting high court judgments before their emergence as caretaker committee members. These judgments are with direct orders on the INEC and the Police. These public institutions are expectedly bound to obey court judgments. Given inaction of the caretaker committee members and non-response to multiple letters and entreaties by the judgment creditors; another recent court order was obtained to ensure they comply with the judgment for them to allow the rightful delegates attend the last convention. Instead of obeying the court order, Senator Makarfi and his colleagues hid the order and misdirected the party's NEC into approving their proposal for that particular exco to be illegally dissolved. Furthermore, they disobeyed a recent court order by disallowing the rightful delegates to attend the convention while they got them replaced with some illegal delegates. They then got the so-called assemblage termed convention of our party to dissolve that same Ogun State exco whose rights the court sought to protect. Does that make unbiased sense to you?  When someone goaded others to dissolve a validly elected state exco claiming that the PDP National Convention is supreme while that exco has a subsisting judgment in its favour which stated that the exco shouldn't be dissolved with accompanying orders to INEC and the Police to enforce the judgments; who then do you expect these public institutions i.e. INEC and Police, to obey? Is it Makarfi’s directive, backed by a somewhat PDP convention resolution, in disobedience of valid and subsisting court orders and judgments emanating from judicial enforcement of the provisions of the Nigerian constitution? All these deliberate actions in contempt of valid and subsisting orders of courts makes me wonder if members of the caretaker committee consider themselves as being above the law. Or are there provisions in our statues that guarantee that they cannot be charged for contempt of court? I hope and pray that we won't have to unavoidably get to the stage of having to put these misconceptions to judicial tests as a verification of the sanctity of our laws and judicial system.



So, what is the situation with the South West PDP as of today?



To be honest, Senator Makarfi and his people are just complicating issues for the South West PDP in particular and making progress difficult for PDP nationally. The recent Supreme Court judgment that the National Convention is supreme, though sacrosanct, is inapplicable to current matters and could not be an override to the Nigerian constitution. If Senator Makarfi now chooses, as of administrative style, to subject his "supreme convention" thinking to judicial tests rather than allowing common sense to prevail; then blame nobody for refusing to be foolish by relinquishing their rights to his avoidable impunity.



The PDP, as a party in those inglorious days of impunity, had travelled this route Makarfi is following before. That was what led to the Araraume and Ameachi gubernatorial tussle anomalies! Then his predecessors were manipulating the Supreme Court judgment that it was the exclusive preserve of the National exco of political parties to submit candidates’ names to INEC; just as he is now flaunting the supremacy of the National convention illogically.  The national leadership of our party was then arbitrarily submitting candidates’ names against due process. Unfortunately, some of the undemocratic substitutions succeeded but not in Ameachi's case! I wish to assure Makarfi that by the grace of Allah same shall be the outcome of the illegal assaults on the South West zonal and Ogun State excos. In those embarrassing situations, the Supreme Court had to ultimately come down hard on our party with ugly dent to our party's democratic status. Why would anyone want to take us back to that ignominy when he can still seek sound legal advice and take advantage of same now, to avert the ugly recurrence of the undemocratic shameful past?



Furthermore, aside of the potency of the subsisting judgments; by neither responding to several letters written to him by the legitimate Bayo Dayo PDP Ogun State exco nor even embracing the decency to call both parties to the Ogun State dispute together for reconciliation but rather strangely, choosing through his actions to take side with one side of the matter without fair consideration to that side with favourable court judgments is like bringing the national leadership of our party from her enviable arbiter and administrator status sheepishly into the battle arena as agents of some local interests friendly to him against the authentic state PDP exco. This is untoward and unjustified in this modern day democracy.



Someone should tell Senator Makarfi that it is dishonourable to be foolhardy and insist on making these glaring errors to the end. His actions at this critical point in the life of our party are vital but currently unfortunate. Please, Senator Makarfi, don’t as a result of egocentric considerations turn the PDP into a southern party of your choice by circumventing the ambitions of other prominent northern colleagues given your current chance position. The thinking that he could pick the party's presidential ticket through current pandering to select southern leaders shall backfire! Even if he manipulates the primary and emerge flag bearer, does he think that the PDP under his leadership with such a manipulated outcome can that win elections? I think it is better not to disadvantage the North and other Northern presidential aspirants and diverse major national stakeholders across the country, which Senator Makarfi’s current delegates manipulations and abuse of office could jeopardize  their rightful interests and could possibly frustrate out of the party or prevent others from joining.  Does Makarfi think that our party can win elections without a correct synergy freely formulated among Nigerians without hindrance as he now seeks to constitute? Makarfi should be enjoined to let transparency and democratic fairness prevail during this his short tenure that already is constitutionally an aberration in PDP. Importantly, he should not destroy the PDP in the South West and/or put the party in the zone through avoidable political dislocations. Our people are much more enlightened than the previous PDP outings in the South West during which time even a lot of our so-called victories were judicially reversed while in some instances; impunity and lack of internal democracy drove away members who ultimately contested and won on other platforms.



His current indulgence of arbitrary negotiations with select leaders favourable to his presidential ambition with subsequent allocation of state structures to them undemocratically is ridiculous. No matter the concealments through some obnoxious guidelines to fake fairness cannot work. A quick appraisal of his manipulative actions in the SW would validate my admonition and expose the foundation of the calamity that he is labouring to lay in the South West. First and foremost, in flagrant disobedience of subsisting court order, Makarfi chose to recognise and deal only with the court-disbanded South West zonal exco. On what basis did he decide to do this? Is his caretaker committee of an appellate jurisdiction over Nigerian high courts? Could that also be by resolution of the national convention that he is disobeying those valid court orders and judgments too? To make the matters worse, aside also being comical, he sent me a query for not forcing these people to endure his illegal assaults on their rights. These are people that have written several letters to him, explaining the facts of the issues without any form of response from him, let alone an invitation to any reconciliatory meeting. I wonder if he takes our democracy as having semblance with the military arrangements.



In Ekiti State, Makarfi handed the party wholly to Fayose against considerations for wider interests of other major stakeholders. While one is not against the honouring of our governors, this should not be in total disregard for democracy as Makarfi is doing. Now that Fayose has arbitrarily and unilaterally appointed the PDP gubernatorial candidate of his choice, is he happy? That's ironically the kind of injustice and unfair imposition that I assisted this same Fayose to resist and by Allah's grace we surmounted when he was aspiring to become governor. Would Makarfi also now subject the sidelined party men in Ekiti State to disciplinary threats as he is doing in Ogun as certainly they are bound to resist? It would be of comic interests to see his reactions to the unjustified exclusion of his caretaker committee colleague- Dayo Adeyeye by Fayose in Ekiti State. Our party men are today scattered and disillusioned in Ekiti State and generally now in disarray. Actions with toga of military control and impositions can't result into electoral victory except the elections are to be rigged. When they are unfairly manipulating others, they claim it is to ensure party unity. I hope he will now appeal to his caretaker committee member – Adeyeye – to forgo his gubernatorial ambition for Fayose's illegal imposition. I can assure Makarfi that Adeyeye would rather leave the PDP for another party as he did the previous time, if Makarfi can't address the injustice before leaving office.

In Oyo State, the outcome of Makarfi’s visit is the two chairmen that the so-called congress produced on Saturday. Some months back, Makarfi visited the state in collaboration with his sectional allies in the South West. He complicated the Oyo State conflict by initially handing power to the minority. In further classical manipulation, he arbitrarily allocated control of Oyo State PDP caretaker committee's control to these negotiated returnees as if our party did not exist before in that state before they came back.  I hope Senator Makarfi can now appreciate why I've been advising that he should be transparent and provably equitable in his dealings without all these opaque manipulations.

In Osun State where we are good to win the next gubernatorial elections, Makarfi’s actions now constitute the impediment. He has tampered with that state's party organ to favour his friends and litigation allies during the national leadership tussle who are in embarrassing minority. At first, he claimed the ward and LG structures and existing delegates are to be preserved while only the state exco shall be affected. For inexplicable reasons other than partisanship, he has discarded all party structures and set up a caretaker committee to conduct fresh congresses. Interestingly, he put a long-standing friend of one of the contenders perceived as his ally from Ogun State and also a nominee of Otunba Gbenga Daniel as the chairman. Similarly, the 100 per cent OGD-nominated Ogun State caretaker committee that he sought to illegally create was capped with an Osun-born childhood friend of OGD! All these are less than transparent. However, the majority in Osun State have decided to deliberately put Makarfi through the operational difficulties and make him see the futility of executing his desired minority impositions.

Makarfi should be advised to leave his presidential ambition for the Almighty Allah who crowns whoever pleases Him.  He should let his attainment of office of caretaker chairman be a blessing and of democratic progress for PDP rather than these catalogue of adversities and democratic retrogression being created. I sincerely still anticipate that Makarfi will afford his tenure that opportunity to make required corrections of these glaring mistakes, impunity and undemocratic acts.








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Court stops fresh Ogun PDP congress

Court stops fresh Ogun PDP congress

An Ogun State Magistrate's Court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta today (Wednesday) restrained the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from holding the congress scheduled to hold on Saturday.

This was the highpoint of court proceedings held today wherein two members of the caretaker committee led by Tunde Odanye are standing trial for contempt of the court.

Specifically, the duo of Mr. Bankole Osisanya and Mrs Temidayo Nike and others at large were arraigned by the Police for disobeying the judgment of the Federal High Court which validated the Engr. Adebayo Dayo-led State Exco till 2020.

Ruling on an application by the prosecution to withdraw the bail granted the accused persons, Magistrate Idowu Olayinka, who turned down the request for the revocation of bail, granted the two members of the committee, restrained members of the caretaker committee from holding any meeting and congress in any part of Ogun State.

According to Olayinka, a Magistrate II, efforts must be geared towards maintaining law and order in the state; thus, he ordered the embattled exco and the caretaker committee of the PDP Ogun State, to refrain from engaging in any physical confrontation likely to cause a breach of the peace in the state or any part of it.

He also ordered the AIG in charge of Zone 2, officer in charge of zonal intervention squad, the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, Police, Department of State Security (DSS) and heads of police formation, to arrest, investigate and prosecute any member of the caretaker committee found in violation of the order.

The Magistrate also directed the prosecution and defence team to impress it on their clients and witnesses, the consequences of disobedience to the order.

He then adjourned the case to 21st November, 2017, for hearing of preliminary objection.

 For the avoidance of doubt, the court orders are as follows:

"The embattled EXCO and the Caretaker Committee of the PDP Ogun State are ordered to restrain from engaging in any physical confrontation likely to led to breach of peace in Ogun State or any part of Ogun State.

"The two accused persons, the Caretaker Committee and any persons or group of persons, deriving authority from them are hereby restrained from holding any congress gathering, public assembly or meeting likely to cause breach in Ogun State or any part of Ogun State.

"The AIG Zone II, Officer in Charge Zonal Intervention Squad, the Commissioner of Police Ogun State Command, the DSS Ogun State Command and all heads of Police formation in Ogun State are hereby ordered to ensure strict compliance with this order, to arrest, investigate and prosecute any member of the Caretaker Committee found in violation of this Order.

"The prosecution and defence team to impress it on their clients and witnesses the consequences of disobedience to this order."

OGD CRIMES : IS THE SILENCE INDICATIVE OF CONCURRENCE?

 

Amusingly, weeks after I have notified fellow PDP members of the inherent dangers in electing Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD) as the National Chairman of our party; he had cleverly refused and/or been unable to make the ordinarily expected point by point rebuttal. Should this silence be taken as concurrence to the committal of these crimes?

Being a lover of due process and public accountability, explains in part, the reasons for my dislike for a questionable character like OGD with multiple unresolved ongoing criminal cases; to be errorneously elected as Chairman of the PDP. Added to these is the predictable collateral political liabilities to the party and the consequential electoral damages which those of us who are party members shall unfortunately have to bear in the event of such unfortunate but avoidable ugly occurrence. Indeed, OGD is a cheap opportunist; coming from AD, he exploited democratic fairness of PDP to become governor. He left upon completion of his tenure in merry-go-round to PPN and Labour party to return to exploit and embezzled the Jonathan campaign funds. Now, sheepishly seeking national chairmanship for self aggrandizement and enrichment.

Normally, a worthy public office holder with integrity should resign from office over allegations of corruption, abuse of office, criminal assault or murder talkless of a person with ongoing investigations and trial over ALL these vices bracing up to be elected into office during the pendency of his trial. This is uncharitable and absurd, especially in the current case of the national chairmanship of PDP; the Nigerian main opposition political party with bright chances of becoming the party in government very soon. Should the aspirations and bright future of all of us be jeopardized by the narrow interest of this accused? 

I candidly believe that we should not elect in error, anybody with the liability of even the slightest stain of previous public service engagements as national chairman to enable Nigerians take us as ready and serious to takeover and  genuinely run the needed progressive government. 

Consequently, I wish to restate the crimes as earlier alleged for OGD to diligently respond pointedly as itemized below, viz:

1. Killing/disappearance in Shagamu of Age Omolemomu

2. Killing of Chief Arojo from Yewa, Ogun State.

3. Killing/disappearance of Awoyemi in Ikenne, Ogun State.

4. The multiple killings of over hundred of OOU students on protest against OGD administration whose corpses were callously dismembered and thrown into the sea.

5. It is public knowledge that when OGD was Ogun Governor, nobody dares to disagree with him without being assaulted, humiliated, maimed and/or killed unceremoniously by his government-aided cultists and/or killer's squad. Most interesting for exemplary mention is the multiple criminal assaults of the current Ogun Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun when OGD was majestically reigning as violence-loving governor without caution and decorum.

A. On Monday July 18th 2005, then Senator Ibikunle Amosun (SIA) while on constituency tour; rammed into Governor Daniel's convoy. He ordered the security to open sporadic gunshots on the SIA assemblage, killing two of his supporters in cold blood and wounding several people.

B. Upon an invitation by the state police command, Sen. Amosun chose to trek to the Eleweran Police HQ. Only Devine intervention saved Amosun from being killed by known and publicly acknowledged OGD cultists/killer's squad. 

C. On 3rd April 2007, during the governorship debate at the premises of Ogun State Television (OGTV), people commonly known as members of OGD cultists/killer's squad, armed with guns, daggers, cutlasses, axes, etc disrupted and terminated the event. The late Dipo Dina, Sen. Gbenga Kaka and Sen Amosun, all of whom were gubernatorial candidates were present. Only God saved the day. This was done to cover Daniel’s monumental misdeeds that had become major campaign issues. In all these, before leaving office, OGD tried without success to conceal the relevant facts, all to no avail.

6. The ongoing EFCC trial of OGD for corruption and criminal abuse of office as Ogun state governor is very instructive. It would be interesting to see how the case would end. Among other visible evidences for instance; is the massively imposing acres of land by the government secretariat on the main expressway into Abeokuta which  OGD clandestinely dispossessed the original owners of as governor. The imposing multi-billion hotel building he erected on that land while a governor is indeed a classical audacity against public sensibility. The Ogun state government has currently  taken over the site and positioned securitymen therein.

The above cases of corruption, criminal abuse of office, multiple killings and unlawful assaults, aside of their criminal essence; are veritable indications that OGD lacks public trust, accountability, democratic tolerance and the capacity of humble carriage and modesty in the use of powers of high public office. This is further reinforced by the multiple  cases of forceful take-over, statewide, of innocent citizen's land for self and commercial uses. Ridiculously, some of these lands are taken under the pretence of being for public use before being converted into his personal use. Out of office, OGD would appreciate the cruelty and enormity of his monumental land grabbing abuse of office that he shamelessly employed as governor with what it now cost him to recently purchase the small piece of land for his Shagamu hotel ongoing expansion without official force.

On the ongoing EFCC corruption cases; it would be unwise if not totally foolhardy of us as a political party to extend OGD an undeserved election in anticipation of  acquittal which as things are, shall draw into the election year. It's indeed unthinkable to flag off our campaigns under a National Chairman encumbered by ongoing corruption and possibly multiple criminal assaults and murder cases on his neck.

The interestingly innovative style of OGD’s corruption is that he is perpetually broke financially, making him irredeemably a continuous extortionist. As he rakes in money, he pumps straight into property developments; ranging from hotels to houses in proxy's names. This is a habitual corruption trait he must have developed as a serving governor when he actually started building of his "CONFERENCE HOTELS" chain and sundry property developments locally and internationally, to cover his tracks. 

With his declining lift engineering business, OGD present occupation is political extortion of gullible aspirants, majorly Ogun gubernatorial hopefuls not minding the political party they belong. He is currently awkwardly combining the mentoring of the conflicting gubernatorial aspirations of PDP's Ladi Adebutu with APC's Senator Yayi!!! Isn't this amazing? 

Certainly under Daniel, party tickets shall be by "exploitative bazaars" with choice gubernatorial tickets going for billions of naira. He is indeed a pathological liar and accomplished extortionist with unimaginable prowess to simultaneously engage in multiple contradictions. He is a calamity that should not be allowed to befall the PDP. God forbid his election, OGD would unimaginably extort money from our presidential aspirants without even being ever satisfied until he is able to exploit and manipulate the process to become the Vice-President !!!

In my characteristic openness, I've also written the letter below directly to Otunba Gbenga Daniel(OGD), to put him on notice of the compelling need to adequately respond to these issues for equitable justice and fairplay; viz:

Dear OGD,  

That your egocentric madness of insatiable greed always blindfold you is amusing to me. Otherwise, how can you be telling people that you're surprised at my disclosure of your criminal atrocities as Ogun governor?

Firstly, I am unhappy that a non-indigene of cloudy ancestral linkage to our state like you, so exploited and devastated our commonwealth as you did. Secondly and more importantly, I abhor injustice and dishonesty. Characteristically, you should now understand why I detest your style and particularly this undeserved aspiration. And despite the multiple devilish acts you had perpetrated against humanity, you're unrepentant.

If you're dreaming of the take-over of the Ogun PDP structure, you better wake-up. The best you can do is to extort and waste the Adebutu family wealth combined with the extortions of some other gullible aspirants which you're already doing excellently well. Kindly delete your day-dreaming over the PDP national chairmanship. To imagine that a criminal non-native-you, would be allowed to again use our state for eminent national office is unthinkable given your nauseating rape of our sensibility as governor.

Let's be honest with ourselves, Mr former governor.

1. Isn't it true that you orchestrated the cold blood murder of Age Omolemomu, Arojo etc including several OOU students on protest against you?  

2. Didn't you authorise the criminal assault of Sen Amosun amongst the multiples that disagreed with your majesty the governor?

3. Didn't you steal in shear abuse of office the land of Ogun state? These are evident even if your financial impropriety in office has been cleverly laundered into property acquisitions. You greedily stole our land in multiple locations in several fictitious names that you don't even know their complete locations uptil now!!!

4. Isn t it dubious in your own reckonIng, to be exploiting aspirants, including from even another party, for self enrichment and to make yourself politically relevant even as you're a callous miserly tortoise?

It's commendable that I don't play the "ostrich game", as I don't hide behind a finger like you. I come always open in all my endeavours with cards up!!! 

Permit me to refresh your memory of few of the mischievous atrocities committed against me by you unprovoked.

1. It's my fundamental right to do politics as a Nigerian and not necessarily to be under you as an appendage. That settled. Why did you, as Ogun governor, waste enormous resources of state with dedicated Special advisers and assistants searching for a non-existent indictment of me. A particular Ph.D law holder now in the federal house made millions out of these stupid goose chase foolishly created by you!!! Concurrently, you commissioned unwarranted cyber dissemination of outright  falsehood and half-truths in tainted coloration of facts about my case despite the UK judicial vindication of me. Thank God that the truth always prevailed over your false creations.

2. After your political Israelite journeys to PPN and Labour party, I welcomed you back into the PDP wholeheartedly. Didn't you start your mischievous ways almost immediately?

3. You in flagrant disloyalty to our party, the PDP, committed heavy resources to purchase votes for APC's Dapo Abiodun against me as PDP senatorial candidate.

4. Not satisfied with the ignominious failure of your treachery at the polls; you worked in concert with my adversaries for a jaundiced judgement at the tribunal which was overturned at the appeal.

5. During my abduction saga, you commissioned internet boys for cyber falsehood war and character assassination propaganda  against me. The rest is now history. 

6. You provided your boys an NGO with which ridiculously, the American embassy was sued to ensure my extradition as if they don't know what's right. 

7. You again recently caused a suit to be instituted in Kaduna to stop the last PDP non-elective convention under the pretence that it was at my instance to sabotage my relationship with Makarfi & his caretaker committee. Your folly is that people know that I don't act from the hiding.

8. You caused a baseless petition to be written to the PDP-NWC against me, 

9. Shamelessly of the absurd, you accused me of an assassination attempt on you at Abuja when it was public knowledge that you were actually on visit to Ibadan with Sen Makarfi. I'm I a killer like you? Have you ever heard of me romancing cultists as you do? Do I have a killer's squad as your majesty the governor did?

10. Infact, I put it for your conscientious recall if indeed you have a conscience; how many times have you planned to kill me, though unsuccessfully, while you were governor?

I've enumerated all the above-mentioned mischievous acts of yours towards me to make you aware that I'm not yet personal as none was included in the published catalogue of your criminality. I'm against your national chairmanship aspiration on principles that I've earlier enumerated. All I have said are genuinely the bitter truth about and you indeed know. It's now on record that I've revealed the true OGD and in the unlikely event that you're errorneously elected, the party shall take responsibility for the architect of her unavoidable misfortune. But that won't happen, as you won't be elected in any error. 

Regards. 

Senator Buruji Kashamu 31/10/17