…says he’s only looking for protection against extradition to US
A group, Ogun Youth Consultative Vanguard, has warned the Federal Government and the All Progressives Congress not to encourage or facilitate the defection of the embattled Senator Buruji Kashamu to the ruling party.
The OYCV said that it had uncovered plots by Kashamu to defect to the APC following his recent expulsion from the Peoples Democratic Party.
Admitting Kashamu’ll bring embarrassment to the FG, APC and all Nigerians
The PDP National Executive Committee had in July expelled Kashamu and three others- Semiu Sodipo, Bayo Dayo and Segun Seriki- from the party for hobnobbing with the opposition. They were alleged to have worked with the opposition in Ekiti State to deny the PDP victory in the last governorship election in the state.
The group, however, alleged that Kashamu had now become desperate to defect to the APC to checkmate plans by the authorities of Federal agencies to arrest and extradite him to the United States of America to answer charges bearing on alleged drug offences.
The OYCV Chairman, Hon. Adeshina Ezekiel, and Secretary, Hon. Johnson Adetoun, said at a news conference in Lagos that Kashamu had lately intensified efforts to seize the opportunity of the defection of some National Assembly members and big wigs in the APC to the PDP, to move over to the ruling party, essentially to stave off action on all matters relating to the alleged plan for his extradition to the USA.
It further alleged that to achieve his objective of seeking refuge in the ruling APC, Kashamu had secured the assistance of a governorship aspirant of the ruling APC in Ogun State (names withheld), “who is also his close ally, to reach out to the Presidency to facilitate his defection to the ruling party soon.”
The group further said that the recent “show-of-force” carried out by the lawmaker in the state was part of the strategy the APC governorship aspirant assisting Kashamu to reach out to the Presidency advised him on and even helped him to execute, to convince the highest echelon of the ruling party that “he’s still a force to reckon with in Ogun State and he would be a worthy asset and of big electoral value to the party.”
The OYCV recalled that the Court of Appeal in Lagos, had in May nullified a ruling by the Federal High Court prohibiting Kashamu’s arrest by law enforcement agencies, saying that the senator was not above the law and should be arrested, if necessary.
The appeal court panel led by Justice Yargata Nimpar overturned the ruling, which was delivered by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in 2015.
Kashamu had approached Abang for the enforcement of his fundamental rights, saying he had uncovered a purported plot by Nigerian security agencies to abduct and extradite him to the United States.
The lawmaker has filed a Notice of Appeal and a Motion for injunction pending the determination of the appeal before the Supreme Court.
But the OYCV alleged that as part of the moves to seek a political solution to the legal matter, Kashamu had decided to take advantage of the current political situation in the National Assembly to defect to the ruling APC “in order to get reprieve in his extradition issue in court,” saying that the embattled lawmaker had already put machinery in motion to perfect his admission into the fold of the ruling APC.
The group, therefore, warned the APC and the Federal Government not to give Kashamu refuge in the ruling party “in the name of defection” because admitting him would bring international embarrassment not only to the government and the ruling party, but to all Nigerians in the international arena.
It also stressed that the Federal Government should respect the treaty Nigeria signed with the US on extradition to the letter, irrespective of the individual involved.
According to the OYCV, “It is common knowledge that Buruji Kashamu is making frantic moves to defect to the APC so that the Federal Government can stop his extradition matter now before the Supreme Court. The government should allow the Supreme Court to do its job the best way it can. They must respect the extradition treaty Nigeria signed with the US in this case and subsequent cases.
“The matter has become somewhat an open-ended issue. This is an aberration and embarrassment to all Nigerians and the government. But lately, capitalising on his recent expulsion from the Peoples Democratic Party and the recent gale of defection that led to many Senators and House of Representatives members defecting from the APC to the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Kashamu, we can authoritatively tell Nigerians, has intensified moves to defect to the APC. And this we have learnt he is doing in order to pacify the Federal Government to intervene in his case, now before the Supreme Court and prevail on the apex court to eventually give judgment in his favour.
“In achieving his desperate objective, he has already secured the assistance of a governorship aspirant of the ruling APC in Ogun State, who is also his very close ally, to help him to reach out to the powers-that-be in the Presidency in Abuja to apprise them of his desire to move over to the ruling party and to convince them to facilitate his defection. Also, we have it on good authority that the recent show-of-force held by Kashamu in Ogun State was actually organised by the APC governorship aspirant and some other party chieftains in the state to convince the party leadership in Abuja and the Federal Government that Kashamu is still very relevant in Ogun State politics and that he controls a large number of the electorate and so will be an asset, when admitted into the APC.
“These are all part of the deceit and mischief by Kashamu to infiltrate Aso Rock and the national leadership of the APC to facilitate his defection. The PDP in Ogun State led by its Chairman, Hon (Dr.) Sikirullahi Ogundele, recently accused Senator Kashamu of colluding with some members of the APC in the state to stage a protest in Abeokuta on August 2, 2018, against his expulsion. Kashamu colluded with his friend, the APC governorship aspirant, to organise the protest, which featured hired thugs and members of the ruling APC from the three senatorial districts of the state. According to the state PDP, the same APC governorship aspirant bankrolled the fake protest by giving funds to Kashamu to mobilise his so-called protesters. We want to buttress the fact that that rally by Kashamu was purely an APC affair presented as a protest by PDP members in the state. Infact, the Ogun PDP exco totally dissociated itself from that deceitful and mischievous action by Senator Kashamu and his cohorts in the APC.”
The group further said, “We want to remind the APC-led Federal Government that as Nigerians and stakeholders in the politics of Ogun State, in particular, and Nigeria in general, the case of Kashamu is that of a drowning man, who will clutch to the tiniest straw in order not to sink, but remain afloat. His desperate plan now to join the APC is bereft of the smallest modicum of sincerity. He is only trying to take advantage of the current political situation in the country to defect to the APC with the ultimate objective of getting a reprieve in his extradition matter now before the Supreme Court. He’s only frantically and desperately looking for a hiding place under the cover of the ruling
APC.
“We also want to remind the Federal Government that accepting or facilitating Kashamu’s defection into the fold of the ruling party to give him refuge from prosecution against allegations made against him by another country, would portray both the APC and the Federal Government in very bad light as mere hypocrites paying lip service to fighting corruption. The Federal Government should remember that Nigeria has a treaty with the United States Government on extradition and giving Kashamu any form of cover because of party affiliation would not do the country’s image in the comity of other nations across the globe any good, especially for a government that prides itself on its avowed anti-corruption crusade and the integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari. The Senator must be allowed to have his day in court.
“The APC and the Federal Government should not sacrifice Buhari’s avowed integrity and anti-corruption stance for the political expediency of increasing the number of its senators by admitting Kashamu into the party. His entry
into the ruling party would at the end of the day bring nothing but chaos and international embarrassment to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The APC and the Federal Government need not be reminded by anyone that Kashamu is one senator and politician that they should not even touch with a six-foot pole. They should not even contemplate bringing him
into the fold of the ruling party because of the embarrassment this would bring and the backlash it would generate in the international arena, especially regarding Nigeria’s
image.”
Efforts to get the reaction of Senator Kashamu to the demands of the OYCV proved abortive. He did
not pick calls made to his phone and also did not reply text messages sent to
him.
