Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and controversial businessman, Chief Buruji Kashamu are feuding seriously. And so bad has the situation become that the two kinsmen have resorted to calling each other obnoxious names. The bone of contention, by the way, is the control of South West PDP (Peoples Democratic Party). The former used to be fully in charge until the latter took over. And not only did he take over, he’s also enjoying the support of The Presidency and former PDP Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. In a letter to the party, dated Tuesday, January 7, 2014, Obasanjo had described Kashamu as ‘a known habitual criminal that is wanted abroad to face criminal charges’.
Adding: “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 principles 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”. But fighting back, Kashamu insisted that Obasanjo has no locus standi to educate him on principles. More so, when in spite of being aware of the alleged crime he’s accusing him of, he still hosted him severally at his Hilltop mansion in Abeokuta, Ogun State and even accepted donations from him for his church and other projects.
Maintaining that Obasanjo is lying against him because he no longer controls the PDP structure in the South West, he stated unequivocally that he’s not a wanted man neither is he into anything shady. He concluded that not only is the allegation that he is awaiting extradition for a drug-related offence over-flogged, the case in question must be that of misplaced identity. Above all, that the allegations had since been quashed by the British courts.
Obasanjo and Kashamu, it would be recalled, used to savour a cordial relationship. As a matter of fact, the erstwhile President saw nothing wrong with Kashamu or rather pretended not to see them when the going was good. Besides using Kashamu to make Ogun State ungovernable for Otunba Gbenga Daniel then, both of them also united forces to oust him from power. Obasanjo’s candidate in the last governorship election in the state, Gen. Tunji Olurin, rtd., also enjoyed Kashamu’s support. Although the election was eventually won by Senator Ibikunle Amosu of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (now part of APC). And many other instances. Kashamu, from Ijebu Igbo in Ogun State, seems to be born to fight. Dreaded and always gliding from one controversy to another, he’s very wealthy. An astute and astounding businessman, he’s into automobile and hospitality business. Likewise oil and gas.