Kashamu: Obasanjo Writes Tukur, Withdraws From PDP

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Femi Kehinde, Latest Headlines, News Saturday, January 11th, 2014

By Femi Kehinde

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has written the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, giving notice of his withdrawal from all activities of the party because the PDP has imposed Kashamu Buruji, who he described as a criminal wanted abroad, on the party as its South West zonal leader.

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo

In the letter, which he also copied President Goodluck Jonathan as National Leader of the party, Obasanjo accused the PDP of negating the principles of morality, decency and discipline in its decisions, especially as they affect the South West.

The letter reads:

“While I believe that a good and truly national political party must be a microcosm of the nation in its membership, made up of all sorts of characters from near-saints to near-satan, I also believe that on no account should a known habitual criminal that is wanted abroad to face criminal charges levelled against him be extolled as a political leader in a respectable and wholesome nation-building political party.

“Kashamu Buruji has been so extolled in PDP in South-West geo-political zone which I personally find unsavoury. Politics played by any national political party must have morality, decency, discipline, principles and leadership examples as cardinal practices of the party. I have attached here recent documents that clearly indicate that your extolled PDP Zonal Leader in the South-West zone of Nigeria and an indigene of Ogun State is, to say the least, not a credit to the party as a member, let alone being a zonal leader.

“Since I stick in my practice of party politics to the hallowed and cherished principles enunciated above, I take this opportunity to let you know that while I continue to remain a card-carrying member of PDP, I cannot and I will not subscribe to a wanted habitual criminal being installed as my zonal leader in the party; a criminal for whom extradition has been requested by the US government. In the meantime, I will consider withdrawing my activity with PDP at local, state, zonal and national levels until the anomalous and shameful situation is corrected.”