Buruji Kashamu, the senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, has branded former Ogun State governor, Mr. Gbenga Daniel, a career liar. Mr. Daniel, in a recent petition to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and Director-General, Department of State Security (DSS) alleged that Mr. Kashamu was the mastermind of an alleged failed assassination attempt on him in his Abuja home.
Buruji Kashamu, the senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, has branded former Ogun State governor, Mr. Gbenga Daniel, a career liar.
Mr. Daniel, in a recent petition to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and Director-General, Department of State Security (DSS) alleged that Mr. Kashamu was the mastermind of an alleged failed assassination attempt on him in his Abuja home.
In a rejoinder to the former governor, the senator said Mr. Daniel’s claims were full of holes, and that he came up with the story of an assassination attempt as part of a plot to foist an illegal caretaker committee on the Ogun State Chapter of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).
This, Mr. Kashamu said, is in spite of a subsisting court judgment stating that Mr. Adebayo, Dayo-led State Exco, which the senator belongs, should remain in office till 2020.
Mr. Kashamu, who is facing the possibility of extradition to the United States to face drug running charges, maintained that the former governor’s allegations were motivated by politics.
There is no better proof that the petition was politically-motivated than his reference to the Supreme Court judgment on the national leadership crisis of the party, which Daniel claimed confers some advantage on him whereas he is actually seeking to subvert the rule of law and instigate chaos because the Supreme Court judgment has nothing to do with PDP Exco in Ogun State."
"The authentic PDP Exco in Ogun State under the leadership of Dayo has a final judgment and orders in its favor that is yet to be appealed, set aside, or upturned. What is more, the orders and judgment are binding on the Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who were parties to the suit,” the senator said in his rejoinder.
According to Mr. Kashamu, the former governor cooked up the story of a murder attempt on him to revive his flagging political career and hijack the PDP structure in Ogun State.
“He merely wants to turn the heat on his perceived political opponent and perpetuate the illegal caretaker in Ogun State. He is afraid that some genuine and concerned party members could resist the brazen illegality and disregard for the rule of law, which his actions represent,” Mr. Kashamu stated.
He added that the State Executive Council of the party wrote two letters (dated 14 and 15 August) to the IGP, where it warned that Mr. Daniel’s activities could cause a breach of peace in the state if left unchecked.
Mr. Kashamu said he was shocked by Mr. Daniel’s petition, which caused the former governor's cyber-team to widely circulate on social media platforms. He said the petition was forwarded to him by his spokesperson, Mr. Austin Oniyokor, who explained that he had been bombarded for reaction by media houses.
On reading the petition, Mr. Kashamu said he sent Mr. Daniel a lengthy text message detailing his shock and pointing out the fallacy of the former governor’s claims. In the text, the senator told Mr. Daniel that he found his allegations childish. He also told the former governor that he has been unable to live down the fact that he is out of political relevance and is desperate to use the victory of the Ahmed Makarfi PDP faction at the Supreme Court to stage a comeback.
“It is normal for people to be defeated politically and yours will not be the first since 2011 that you have refused to let go. I do not see how the victory of Markafi over Sheriff translates into your victory over me. Even the purported Ogun State Caretaker Committee is a nullity in law as Ogun State Exco has a binding judgment that protects them against your insinuations,” he told Mr. Daniel.
On the former governor’s claim that Mr. Kashamu did not know he had left Abuja for Ibadan before sending assassins to his house, the senator said all the important politicians in the South-West knew Mr. Daniel had travelled to Ibadan with the PDP National Chairman meet with disaffected party members, including Mr. Rashidi Ladoja, former governor of Oyo State.
The itinerary of that visit, he added, had public knowledge two days before the trip was made.
“Why do you now think I would be looking for you in Abuja when I knew you were in Ibadan? What will looking for you serve me politically when it is you that has been begging Senator Ben Bruce to talk to me to avoid exposing your political deficit in the South-West, which is now evident? It is ridiculous for you to think that the police and the readers of your petition are foolish enough to think that armed men can come to your house, meet your police man asleep, and then lock him up in the same toilet he miraculously kept a gun and was able to escape through the ceiling, where he then supposedly saved the day by shooting to scare the gun men away after he escaped. Is it even right and professional for a police man to sleep and hide his gun in the toilet?” Mr. Kashamu asked the former governor.
He equally claimed to be familiar with the activities of a killer squad, Mr. Daniel maintained during his time as governor and threatened to provide details of such to the police in his counter-petition.
The senator said he was aware that Mr. Daniel is planning to have him killed before the next elections, so as to replace him in the Senate in 2019.
To further prove that he knew Mr. Daniel was out of Abuja on the day of the alleged assassination attempt, Mr. Kashamu provided a text message sent by Mr. Daniel to PDP leaders, including him, inviting them to the meeting in Ibadan. The message read: FINAL FINAL Confirmation of the visit of The PDP National Chairman and members of the NCC to Party Leaders in Ibadan, Oyo State;
THE VISIT WILL NOW BE A ONE DAY WHISTLE STOP.
Thursday 24th August
Depart from Abuja to Ibadan by Aeroland 10.00 hrs
12 noon: Courtesy Visit to Governor Ladoja
1 pm: Courtesy Visit to Chief Richard Akinjide and a Chief Yekini Adeojo
2 pm: Courtesy to Seyi Makinde
3 pm: Courtesy visit to Chief Alao Akala.
3pm-5pm: UNIFICATION LUNCH for 100 people at Carlton Gate Exclusive Hotel (by UCH Second gate, Secretariat Road Agodi GRA Ibadan) with media presence.
With few speeches and declarations to the PDP by the Leaders. Joint Communique to be issued. 5 pm Departure to Abuja from Airport
ALL OUR PARTY LEADERS AND SUPPORTERS ARE ENJOINED TO MEET OUR CHAIRMAN AND NCC MEMBERS AT THE IBADAN AIRPORT FROM 10.30 am prompt from where the motorcade will proceed to Governor Ladoja's residence as the first port of call.
Gov Akala's people will be gathered at his house in his absence to symbolically receive us.
Because of time constraints visit will be short and sharp
cc;
His Exc. Governor Rashid Ladoja
His Exc. Governor Alao Akala
Chief Yekini Adeojo
Sen. Adesheun
Sen. Teslim
Hon. Gbolarumi
Hon. Mulikat Adeola
Chief Mrs. Jumoke Akinjide
Mr. Seyi Makinde
Special Information, His Exc Ayo Fayose, and Dr. Eddy Olafeso, Chairman SW Zonal Committee, Dr. Olafeso to kindly rein in all the SW and relevant personalities. OGD.
He added that it was also reported in the media that some members of the PDP National Working Committee would be in Ibadan. Mr. Kashamu claimed to have been in Lagos since the National Assembly went on recess in July, adding that he does not have a killer squad like the former governor. He equally said he is willing to make his call logs available for scrutiny.
“It is true that we have had political differences since 2009 after working together for some time. Even at that, not once have I been linked to any form of violence. I prosecute my political battles in the court of law and the court of public opinion, which he acknowledged in his petition, albeit irreverently,” the senator said.
"Mr. Daniel is the one given to violence. Mr. Daniel's tenure as governor was synonymous with violence, which only stopped after he left power," said Mr. Kashamu.
“His former Commissioner for Agriculture, Waliu Taiwo, and Chief Press Secretary, Wale Adedayo, among others, had accused him of having a killer squad that he used to decimate perceived political opponents. Adedayo even wrote a book titled ‘Micro Seconds Away from Death’ wherein he chronicled some of the heinous crimes perpetrated by Daniel as governor of Ogun State, including an assassination attempt on him (Mr. Adedayo). The book is a public document,” Mr. Kashamu stated.
The senator also dismissed Mr. Daniel’s accusation that he is the one behind his trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“The posers for Daniel are. Am I the state or EFCC that decided to try him for corruption? Am I related to the family of the late age Omo Lemomu in Sagamu, who disappeared in mysterious circumstances after helping him to power? Do I have anything to do with the death of Dele Arojo, who was killed in the build up to the 2003 election?” he asked Mr. Daniel.
Mr. Kashamu admitted that he took a personal interest in getting to the root of the killing of over 120 undergraduates of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), and got some of those who carried out the dastardly act to confess to their most horrendous deeds in sworn affidavits and confessional statements made to a special team of investigators formed by the Office of the IGP in 2013 and the State Security Service.
"One of those involved in the killings", said Mr. Kashamu, "revealed that they were given pump action rifles and AK 47 guns and told not to spare the cultists and that they should dispose of their bodies in the river in Okun Owa."
"The IGP team of investigators and the Ogun State Command of the State Security Service (SSS) also obtained statements from Daniel," he added.
"Mr. Daniel has continued to seek an avenue to work with him, using Mr. Ben Bruce-Murray. Bruce-Murray, he explained, met with him to propose an alliance between them in Ogun State. Mr. Kashamu said he agreed to work with Mr. Daniel, but would have to consult his leaders before doing so," said the senator.
He noted that the former governor’s poor reputation has seen him labeled “Dani elebo” (Daniel the fetish one) by Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, who added: “This governor lied and lied and lied until he lied his head off”.
Mr. Kashamu equally noted that when Mr. Daniel’s petition was shared on a Whatsapp group known as “Ogun Governorship 2019” on 26 August, Daniel’s former spokesperson, Mr. Wale Adedayo, dismissed it as fiction.
Mr. Adedayo, whose phone number is 08133878568, Mr. Kashamu said, wrote: “The petition by my former Oga is very interesting. But I think it was written to keep Kashamu busy, not that the man is behind ANY attempt on OGD's life. After Funsho Williams, there are certain jobs that are no longer possible for 'Boyz' to execute at home. PDP wants to cage Kashamu. I also agree once he continues to play a spoiler game. But this assassination story is not it at all. Oga should have consulted on strategy. But on this one, the facts and circumstances do (sic) not have Kashamu anywhere near it."
"In fact, when burglars swept through Oga's Abuja house last year, it was neatly done. Of course, it was an inside job, which I followed to get sure facts. Assassins are not easily scared by the sound of gunshots. Only armed robbers run when they hear the sound of bullets. Assassins also do not miss their targets. 80% of an assassination job is surveillance. If these ones are assassins, they would have come when OGD was there. My little advice, OGD should not follow this up. It is not cool! Adopt another method, Oga. Your goal is very simple. You are not just going about it the right way!”
