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Tag: Kashamu

  • PDP chieftain: Kashamu working for APC

    A LOCAL chapter chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has accused the party’s governorship candidate in the Gateway State, Senator Buruji Kashamu, of working for the opposition.

    “The senator’s mission is clear – create problem in the PDP and pave the way for the APC to retain power, even when it is clear that the people are yearning earnestly for a new vista and a new government by the PDP,” the chieftain, Mr. Akinlade Segun, said in a statement.

    But, Kashamu had in letter to the PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus, insisted that he did no wrong as all his actiones enjoyed judicial backing.

    In a November 4 letter to Secondus, the senator accused the party chair of failing to call the actors in the Ogun PDP dispute for possible reconciliation.

    He said the party chair erred by faulting INEC’s recognition of the Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun PDP in his November 1 memo to the electoral umpire.

    Akinlade said that the senator has succeeded in destabilising the PDP by unilaterally throwing himself up as the party’s standard bearer in next year’s governorship election.

    In a statement titled: “Time to tame Kashamu and his nuisance”, Akinlade alleged that a highly-placed person on the corridors of power was backing the senator to have his ways.

    He wondered how a party member who was suspended twice and expelled for undermining the party could be recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the PDP candidate.

    The statement reads: “Twice, he has been suspended; once, he has been expelled from the PDP over several unabated anti-party activities. The PDP said it ‘took disciplinary action against Kashamu and his co-trabellers for hobnobbing with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in ways that were detrimental to the interest of the PDP.’

    “In all the times Kashamu got suspended and expelled from the PDP, he always found his way through the judiciary to get court injunctions to upturn the decision of his party.”

    According to Akinlade, the senator was out to tarnish the image of the judiciary “as he boasts in public of knowing his way around the judiciary to get whatever court injunction he wants for any situation.

    He said something must be down to stop the senator from always using the judiciary against the party, as the trend could stain the judicial system.

    “In all of these, observers have also argued and posited that Kashamu couldn’t be doing all thess onslaught without back up from highly placed people in the government, Akinlade said.

    On the claim that Buruji made be an opposition’s agent working against the PDP interest, Akinlade said:  ”He is doing their bidding and they are in return robbing his back with the necessary support he needs to destabilise the PDP.

    “His latest is his emergence as the governorship candidate of the PDP in Ogun State. How did that happen? Where did he hold his primaries? Who conducted the primary? These are questions begging for answers.”

    The senator announced his emergence at the weekend as the governorship candidate of the Adedayo Bayo-led faction of the PDP, adding that the factional party chair was expelled by the PDP alongside Kashamu few months ago.

    His latest action did not eliminate any element of surprise. It only justified allegations that Kashamu has been working for the APC to the detriment of the PDP.

     

     

  • Kashamu to Secondus: obey party constitution

    Senator Buruji Kashamu, who represents Ogun East, has urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus to obey the party’s constitution.

    Kashamu was reacting to a November 1 letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by Secondus in which he faulted its recognition of the Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun PDP leadership.

    The senator said Secondus never called the actors in the Ogun PDP dispute for possible reconciliation before embarking on what he called an impossible mercenary project.

    “You sought to bamboozle the commission into joining you in the unjust victimisation of the Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun State PDP executive and anyone associated with it, having been notified by INEC that it would respect court judgments and orders on the Ogun State PDP matter via a letter dated April 12, 2018 and reaffirmed in the second letter dated October 25, 2018,” Kashamu said.

    The senator, in a November 4 letter to Secondus, said it was intriguing that the PDP chairman would continue to disobey court judgments and orders.

    “You could not cite one reasonable ground that enables you to carry on with reckless abandon in respect of the Ogun State PDP matter in spite of the subsisting court judgments and orders.

    “You wrote as if you have appellate and supervisory jurisdiction over court judgments and the electoral umpire.

    “More importantly, Mr. Chairman, by your conduct, you unwittingly portrayed yourself as a lawless character.

    “This is made worse by your attempt to seek an accomplice in the condemnable disobedience of validly subsisting court pronouncements,” Kashamu wrote.

    According to him, there were disputes over the Ogun State PDP executive.

    He said it was when the party leadership sided with one of the contending groups instead of resolving the issues that the other group went to court and got judgment in its favour.

    “The national leadership of the party decided to ignore the team pronounced as the validly elected state exco and continued to align with the outlawed group. Then parallel primaries were held for the 2019 general election by the two groups.

    “The group, which has two judgments in its favour (FHC/L/CS/636/2016 and FHC/L/CS/1556/2017) returned to court in a judgment enforcement proceeding in Suit No FHC/ABK/CS/114/2018 with the list of its candidates having been elected in compliance with subsisting court judgment.

    “The court upheld the outcome of its primaries and directed INEC to comply. And that was all the electoral body did. No more, no less,” Kashamu said.

    To the Senator, where a person is aggrieved by the action of an authority, such a person is entitled to seek redress in court and any judgment delivered will be binding on such authority.

    “That is what INEC has done and that is what PDP should do – to show all and sundry that it has truly rebranded and that the culture of impunity belonged in the past,” Kashamu said.

    Besides, Kashamu argued that the Electoral Act did not state or vest in the PDP national leadership the exclusive right to forward an aspirant’s name INEC.

    “It is unfortunate that our party under your leadership would defiantly refuse to uphold the rule of law.

    “I had thought that given your party administration experience, you would elect to use the opportunity of being the National Chairman to make a difference and keep a date with posterity.

    “Instead of obeying court judgments, your leadership kept finding ways to circumvent the judgment creditors and rubbish the majesty and authority of the judiciary as if it was a toothless bull dog,” Kashamu said.

    He advised Secondus to “have a rethink and tow the path of democratic justice rather than these deliberate contemptuous acts that could earn you a jail term if you do not desist and tow the path of legality and rectitude.”

  • Kashamu: I’m not in litigation with PDP

    The lawmaker representing Ogun East, Senator Buruji Kashamu, has denied involvement in “heavy litigation” with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Kashamu spoke in an October 29 letter addressed to the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus.

    He was reacting to reports quoting PDP’s National Legal Adviser Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, who requested N60 million from the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) as cost of litigation.

    According to Enoidem, “…we are under tremendous litigation attacks by Senator Buruji Kashamu and cohorts”.

    Enoidem reportedly made the request in an October 18 memo to the NWC.

    Kashamu said: “My attention has been drawn to a report on Page 3 of Sunday Punch of October 28 2018, with the above headline in which the National Legal Adviser, Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, was quoted as having requested N60 million from the National Working Committee (NWC) to cover litigation cost.

    “Specifically, the newspaper quoted Enoidem as stating in his October 18, 2018, memo to the NWC: ‘Furthermore, we are under tremendous litigation attacks by Senator Buruji Kashamu and cohorts – same (sic) in Abuja, FCT, Federal High Court, Abeokuta, to the Court of Appeal, Ibadan.’

    “I wish to condemn Enoidem’s unwarranted attack on my person and further wish to deny that I am not in any way attacking our party judicially.

    ‘’For instance, the purported appeal at the Court of Appeal, Ibadan, is at the instance of the party and its lead counsel, Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN), against the valid and subsisting orders of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta. So, how can anyone choose to appeal court orders and turn round to blame me in a suit in which I am not a party?”

    Kashamu said the only suit he filed against the PDP was to challenge his expulsion from the party.

    “The only suit I am involved in with the party is the fundamental human rights suit I filed to challenge my unjustified expulsion from our party. I challenge Enoidem to prove otherwise,” he added.

    The lawmaker blamed the national leadership for taking sides in the intra-party disputes among contending groups in Ogun State.

    He added: “if Enoidem was referring to the other suits filed by the Ogun State PDP executive against the illegal and unjustified actions of the national leadership to side with one of the contending groups within the Ogun State PDP, then it is most unfortunate as these were self-inflicted.

    “The national leadership of the party has no business siding with one group against the other in an intra-party dispute. Rather, it should be an arbiter and unbiased umpire, who would do everything within its powers to amicably resolve the issues.

    “So, if the national leadership of the party decides to take sides and descends into the arena, hiring senior lawyers to defend illegality and impunity on behalf of some dissidents in Ogun State, how can anyone rightly blame me for such? Indeed, the better sense of valour and discretion dictate that if the party wants to save itself of needless litigation cost, it should uphold the Rule of Law and disengage from suits involving state chapters or contending groups within state chapters. The national leadership’s role should be to uphold and not to circumvent it.”

    Kashamu threatened to seek legal redress if the party does not dissociate itself “from the offensive publication and apologise to me within seven days; failure of which I would be left with no other option than to seek redress in court against Enoidem and the party.”

  • Court voids PDP’s expulsion of Kashamu, Ogun Chairman

    A HIGH Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Apo, Abuja has set aside the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) expulsion of Senator Buruji Kashamu (Ogun East) and the party’s Ogun State Chairman, Adebayo Dayo, an engineer.

    Justice Valentine Ashi, in a ruling yesterday, held that the purported expulsion was unlawful because it was done in flagrant disobedience of a subsisting order of the court made on December 7, 2017, which was restated on January 9, 2018.

    It directed parties not to do anything to jeopardise the hearing of the pending case.

    The court had, while restating its earlier order on January 9, 2018, added that the PDP must not carry out any disciplinary action against the defendants without first, having recourse to the court.

    Justice Ashi, who nullified the expulsion, also set aside the PDP’s letter, dated August 1, 2018, conveying the expulsion to Kashamu and Dayo.

    The judge ordered PDP’s Chairman, Uche Secondus to, within 48 hours of his receipt of the court order, to show cause why the court’s disciplinary measure should not be deployed against him for aiding his party to violate a valid court order.

    In the alternative, the court ordered Secondus to show why he should not be referred to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice for prosecution, before the Magistrates’ Court of the FCT, for obstructing the course of justice.

    The ruling was on an application  filed by Kashamu and Dayo, which was argued for the applicants by their lawyer, Charles Ndukwe.

    The PDP had, on December 4, 2017, sued Kashamu and four others. It sought among others, order restraining Kashamu and the other defendants from preventing it from carrying out its legitimate activities, including its national convention slated for  December 9 and 10, 2017.

    On December 7, 2017, the court granted PDP’s ex-parte motion and ordered parties to maintain the status quo, by refraining from doing anything that is capable of  jeopardising the hearing of the pending interlocutory application and the substantive suit.

    Sued with Kashamu were: Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe (PDP South West leader), Alhaji Adewale Adeyanju, Dayo and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    On January 9, 2018, the court, upon complaint by Kashamu and Dayo, set aside their suspension by the PDP. The court said the suspension was carried out by the PDP while the case was still pending.

    The court proceeded to restrain the PDP from taking any disciplinary action against Kashamu and others without first making recourse to the court and fixed further hearing in the case till a later date.

    Rather than prosecute its case to conclusion, the PDP abandoned it, following which the court, on May 2, 2018, struck it out and set down the defendants’ counter-claim for hearing on November 6, 2018.

    On July 24, 2018, the PDP announced the expulsion of Kashamu and Dayo, which was contained in the party’s letter of August 1, 2018, which it served on the two.

    The party’s decision  informed the application by Kashamu and Dayo, on which Justice Ashi’s ruling yesterday was based.

    In the ruling, the judge agreed with the applicants (Kashamu and Dayo)  that the order made on December 7, 2017 and restated on January 9, 2018 was still binding on the plaintiff (PDP) and all parties despite its (PDP’s) abandoning of the case, which led to it being struck out.

    Justice Ashi noted that even when the main suit was struck out, the counter-claim filed by Kashamu and other defendants was still pending.

    The judge rejected PDP’s objection to the suit and held that the suit Kashamu filed against the party before the Federal High Court, Abuja was different from the one before his court.

  • Court voids PDP’s expulsion of Kashamu, Ogun Chair

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Apo, Abuja has set aside the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) expulsion of Senator Buruji Kashamu (Ogun East) and Ogun State Chairman of the party, Engr Adebayo Dayo.

    Justice Valentine Ashi, in a ruling on Wednesday, held that purported expulsion was unlawful because it was done in flagrant disobedience of a subsisting order of the court made on December 7, 2017, which was restated on January 9, 2018, directing parties not to do anything to jeopardise the hearing of the pending case.

    Justice Ashi, who nullified the expulsion, also set aside the PDP’s letter, dated August 1, 2018 conveying the expulsion to Kashamu and Dayo.
    The judge ordered PDP’s Chairman, Uche Secondus to, within 48 hours of his receipt of the court order, to show cause why the court’s disciplinary measure should not be deployed against him for aiding his party to violate a valid court order.

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    In the alternative, why he (Secondus) should not be referred to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice for prosecution, before the Magistrates’ Court of the FCT, for obstructing the course of justice.

     

    Details later…

  • Kashamu tells INEC, DSS, police to disregard PDP’s expulsion

    SENATOR representing Ogun East Buruji Kashamu has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Police to disregard his expulsion from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Kashamu, in a counter-letter to the PDP national leadership’s letter to the three agencies, insisted that his expulsion was a stillbirth and could not stand the test of the law.

    The senator’s position was contained in a letter dated August 6, which was addressed to PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus and  copied to the INEC Chairman, Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ogun State, Police Commissioner and State Director of DSS, among others.

    PDP National Legal Adviser Emmanuel Enoidem had on August 1 written to INEC and security agencies of the PDP’s decision to expel Kashamu, Bayo Dayo, Semiu Sodipo and Segun Seriki – all of Ogun State chapter of PDP,  for alleged anti-party activities.

    Kashamu, who is a major financier of the state PDP chapter since 2011, dismissed the PDP’s letters as one  borne out of ignorance, deceitful and criminally contemptuous.

    The senator insisted  that the PDP National Legal Adviser acted outside his jurisdiction as stipulated in Article 42 of the party’s constitution.

    He said only the national chairman and the national secretary that have powers to issue such correspondences as stipulated in Articles 35 and 36 of the party’s constitution.

    Kashamu added that there were also pending litigations in which the courts restrained the party from taking any disciplinary action against him and others.

    “Thus, I respectfully urge you to discountenance the fake letter, as it is not worth more than the piece of paper on which it was written.

    “Secondly, the National Executive Committee (NEC) could not have validly expelled me and others when there are subsisting judgments and orders of court forbidding them from taking any disciplinary action against me and the others.

    “If they had taught through their ill-advised step, they would have realised that it offends the provision of Article 57 (6) of the PDP Constitution.

    “It should be clear to all law-abiding citizens and institutions that the purported expulsion, in spite of subsisting orders and judgments of the court, is a stillbirth, which cannot see the light of the day. It is an act of illegality that cannot stand the test of the law.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, I and the others remain valid, card-carrying and financial members of the PDP. Nobody can take away our rights and privileges because the courts had forbidden the party from doing so before it purportedly moved against us.

    “We will continue to operate within the law as PDP members, senator and State Exco members,” he said.

  • Kashamu counters PDP, tells INEC, Police to disregard PDP expulsion

    There  appeared to be no let up in the  row between the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and the  Senator representing Ogun East in the National Assembly, Buruji Kashamu, over the expulsion of the later by the PDP National leadership as Kashamu on Monday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Department of State Services (DSS) and Police to disregard his expulsion notice to them from PDP.
    Kashamu, who in a counter – correspondence to the correspondence of the PDP national leadership to the three agencies, insisted that his expulsion is a stillbirth and cannot stand the test of the law.
    The Senator’s position was contained in a letter dated August 6 and addressed to the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus and  copied to the INEC Chairman, Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ogun State, Commissioner of Police and State Director of DSS, among others.
    The PDP National Legal Adviser, Emmanuel Enoidem, had on August 1 written  INEC and security agencies of the PDP’s recent decision to expel Kashamu, Bayo Dayo, Semiu Sodipo and Segun Seriki – all of Ogun State chapter of PDP,  over alleged anti-party activities.
    Kashamu who is a major financier of the state chapter of PDP since 2011, dismissed the correspondences as one  borne out of ignorance,  most ridiculous, deceitful and criminally contemptuous as the National Legal Adviser of PDP acted outside his jurisdiction as stipulated in Article 42 of the Party’s Constitution.
    He said only the national chairman and the national secretary that have powers to issue such correspondences as stipulated in Articles 35 and 36 of the party’s constitution, adding that there were also  pending litigations in which the courts restrained the party  from taking any disciplinary action against him and others.
    “Thus, I respectfully urge you to discountenance the fake letter, as it is not worth more than the piece of paper on which it was written.
    “Secondly, the National Executive Committee (NEC) could not have validly expelled me and others when there are subsisting judgments and orders of court forbidding them from taking any disciplinary action against me and the others.
    “If they had taught through their ill-advised step, they would have realized that it offends the provision of Article 57 (6) of the PDP Constitution.
     “It should be clear to all law-abiding citizens and institutions that the purported expulsion, in spite of subsisting orders and judgments of the court, is a still birth which cannot see the light of the day. It is an act of illegality that cannot stand the test of the law.
    “For the avoidance of doubt, I and the others remain valid, card-carrying and financial members of the PDP. Nobody can take away our rights and privileges because the courts had forbidden the party from doing so before it purportedly moved against us.
    “We will continue to operate within the law as PDP members, senator and State Exco members.
    “Finally, I wish to inform you that I have written letters to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Police and the State Security Service (SSS) urging them to disregard the valueless and incompetent letter written in defiance of several subsisting court judgments and orders, and continue to relate with us as the authentic and legally recognized leaders and members of the party,” Kashamu said.

  • Expulsion: PDP writes INEC, DSS, Police over Kashamu, others

    •Senator rejects expulsion from party

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has formally notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Department of State Security Service (DSS) and the Police Command in Ogun State of the expulsion of Senator Buruji Kashamu and three others from the party.

    Kashamu representing Ogun East, factional Chairman of PDP in Ogun State, Engr. Bayo Dayo and two others were expelled from the party weeks ago by the PDP National leadership for alleged anti – party activities.

    But Kashamu and Dayo rejected the expulsion, dismissing it as a ruse and illegality that shall not stand.

    They insisted they remained full – fledged members of PDP, saying a subsisting court order protects their membership.

    However a letter by the PDP National Legal Adviser, Emmanuel Enoidem dated August 1 and addressed separately to the trio of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, the State Director of DSS and the Commissioner of Police in the state, said the expelled persons have ceased to be members of PDP.

    The party recalled the National Executive Committee (NEC) at its 80th meeting on July 23, expelled the quartet of Kashamu, the factional state chairman and secretary, Bayo Dayo and Semiu Sodipo respectively and Segun Seriki, for “various infractions and violations of express provisions of the constitution of the party 2017 (as amended).”

    It reads further: “We write to bring to your notice and information that on July 23, 2018, the 80th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expelled Senator Buruji Kashamu, Mr.  Semiu Sodipo,  Engr. Bayo Dayo and Segun Seriki from the party for various infractions  and violations of express provisions of the Constitution of the party 2017 (as amended).

    “Accordingly, they have ceased to be members of our party forthwith and lost all rights and or privileges, to act or represent the party in any capacity whatsoever. The extract of the 80th meeting of the NEC is attached for your perusal,” the letter reads.

     

  • Kashamu rejects expulsion by PDP leadership

    •Holds mega rally in Ogun

    Senator Buruji Kashamu yesterday insisted that he remained a full-fledged member of  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said his alleged expulsion by the party’s national leadership cannot stand.

    Kashamu, representing Ogun East, was expelled two weeks ago for alleged anti- party activities.

    Addressing thousands of party supporters at a mega rally in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, he told the cheering supporters that a subsisting court order protected his membership.

    The rally was organised at the state secretariat of the party on IBB Boulevard, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

    Aspirants in the 2019 general election and placard-carrying supporters attended it.

    Kashamu, a major financier of the party since 2011, wondered how a committed member could be expelled.

    He dismissed his alleged expulsion as a ruse and an illegality.

    “How can somebody expel you when you are committed to the party? PDP is not for an individual.

    “I want to state authoritatively that I, Senator Buruji Kashamu, remain PDP member up till today.

    “Any attempt to expel me will be an effort in futility, because I have an order that protects me from being expelled by anybody,” the senator said.

    He said his battle with the “national leadership of the party is to liberate the masses from the oppressed.”

    The state factional Chairman, Bayo Dayo, who was also expelled by the party leadership, said a Lagos High Court recognised his executive as the authentic one and he needed not be bothered by an action that was contempt of the court order.

    He said the party leadership acted illegally, hence their decision was null and void, adding: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has recognised us as the authentic PDP in Ogun State and we are dealing directly with INEC.”

  • PDP lawless, undemocratic -Kashamu

     Sen. Buruji Kashamu has said that his  expulsion from the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), by the National Executive Committee(NEC) of the party would not stand.

    “It is clear from the ill-advised decision that the Prince Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee is lawless and undemocratic,” Buruji said in a reaction to his expulsion by the party.

    “No due process was followed as enshrined in the Constitution of the party.

    “Since the initial 30-day suspension elapsed on Jan. 9, 2018, they do not have any right to take any disciplinary action against me.

    “This decision cannot stand because Article 57 (6) of the PDP Constitution which says ‘Any decision taken against a member who has not been informed of the charges against him or has not been given any opportunity of defending himself shall be null and void,’” he said.

    The lawmaker added that there are  two suits challenging his initial suspension.

    “The first is Suit No. FHC/L/ABJ/CS/1254/2017 between Senator Buruji Kashamu vs. PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, the National Secretary and INEC before the Honourable Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    “PDP should not forget that it also instituted a case against me and other leaders of the party in the South West at the High Court of the Federal Territory in Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/0303/2017 as per the Honourable Justice Valentine Ashi.

    “The court made an order nullifying and setting aside my purported suspension on the 9th of January, 2018.The court also ordered parties, including PDP to maintain status quo.

    “There are also counter-claims in the said suit at the FCT High Court praying the court for ‘an order restraining the plaintiffs (PDP) their agents, servants and privies from taking any disciplinary action against the 1st – 4th defendants (with me and the authentic Ogun State PDP Chairman, Engr. Adebayo Dayo as the 1st and 4th defendants).

    ” The directive was on account of any actions and/or conduct or steps taken by them individually and jointly to make the plaintiff abide by its constitution and observe democratic principles in all its dealings with the 1st – 4th defendants.”

    The lawmaker said the purported expulsion did not have anything to do with him  or any of his associates.

    He said, “It is instructive that the Federal High Court as per the Honourable Justice I.N. Buba on the 24th June, 2016, granted an order.

    ” An order which banned the PDP from impeding the functions of the Engr. Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun State PDP Exco until the four year tenure which they have been elected is spent.

    “That the State Exco is to remain in office until 2020.

    “I and my associates are fully in the PDP whether anybody likes it or not. We will continue to operate as PDP members, senator and exco.”

    The PDP on Monday announced the expulsion of Sen. Buruji Kashamu from the party.

    Others expelled from the party are Samiu Sodipo, Dayo Adebayo and Segun Seriki.