PDP Expels Kashamu, Three Others

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expelled Buruji Kashamu, the senator representing Ogun East at the National Assembly, from its fold.

Also expelled with Kashamu were three other members: Bayo Dayo, Segun Sarki and Sanimu Sodipo, all from Ogun State.

Their sack from the party was announced on Monday by Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary of the party, after an emergency meeting of PDP’s National Executive Committee in Abuja.

The PDP once suspended Kashamu, in 2011. For years, he has been at loggerheads with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who has never passed up an opportunity to say he couldn’t be in the same party with a drug baron.

Kashamu is wanted in the US for drug-related offences but has repeatedly claimed innocence and resisted efforts to extradite him. However, in May, the Appeal Court ruled against him, meaning he could yet be extradited.

He is also a known loyalist of Ali Modu Sheriff, former National Chairman of the Party, who was the protagonist of a lengthy legal tussle for the reins of the party.

Only on Sunday, he criticised Ayodele Fayose, the outgoing Governor of Ekiti State, for PDP’s loss in the July 14 governorship election in the state, saying: “I saw it coming.

“I was not the least surprised at the outcome. How would the PDP have won when the former interim Caretaker Chairman of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, allowed Governor Ayo Fayose to drive away other stakeholders in the party in Ekiti State and the whole of the South-west? After driving away all the bigwigs and stakeholders in Ekiti State, they could not but work against the party.

“The good people of Ekiti State wanted to do away with anything Fayose and that was what happened. That is why he lost even in his own local government. It is not that the people do not like PDP. They still like PDP but detest Fayose and his antics. He is cancerous to the PDP and since the leadership of the party could not deal with him, the good people of Ekiti State simply helped us to remove him.

“All the political tokenism of frying garri, jumping on okada and going to eat at bukas are not what would impact on the life of the average Ekiti man or woman. To what extent has he gone to make life better for the average Ekiti man or woman? Has he provided a conducive environment for them to realise their full potentials? The people saw through his deceit and rejected him.”