Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has “temporarily” suspended his
membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, saying he cannot be in a
party that has Alhaji Buruji Kashamu, as his leader.
Kashamu a self acclaimed philanthropist and Nigeria’s newest “Godfather”,
is a drug baron and fugitive from the United States.
In a one-page letter dated 7 January, 2014 to the chairman of the ruling
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Obasanjo said he
would cease to be a member of the party by withdrawing from its activities
at the local, state and federal levels.
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.
“…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.”