A member of the House of Representatives, Hon Adesegun Abdel-Majid Adekoya, representing Ijebu-North/Ijebu-East/Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency of Ogun State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has pleaded with the national leadership of the Party to revisit the expulsion of Senator Kashamu Buruji and three other members of the state chapter of the Party from its fold.
The plea was contained in a letter to the National Chairman of the Party, Prince Uche Secondus in which he counselled that the party “stands at great risk of losing the entire Ogun State in 2019 if the leadership of the party does not have a rethink over the expulsion of Senator Buruji and others.”
Recalled that Senator Buruji, representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the Senate, Engr Bayo Dayo, Alhaji Semiu Sodipo and Prince Segun Seriki were expelled from the Party at its National Executive Committee, NEC, during its recent emergency meeting over alleged anti-party activities.
The lawmaker who is also the Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Land Transport, pleaded that Senator Buruji played a pivotal role in the victory of PDP in parts of Ogun State against a sitting APC governor and that his expulsion would pitch his massive followers against PDP as they “have either been isolated or equally stand expelled.”
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According to him “It is my considered opinion that this decision is hasty and ill-advised especially at this point in the life of our great party when all hands should be on the deck to heal wounds, build synergy, consensus, and reconcile all aggrieved members.
“Politics is about numbers and every politics is local. My Chairman Sir, in politics, somebody’s Terrorist is another person’s Freedom Fighter
“It should be noted that the said Prince Buruji Kashamu is a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing nine Local Government Council Areas out of twenty (20): eleven (11) State Constituencies our of twenty-six (26) Cid one hundred and three (103) electoral wards out of two hundred aid thirty-six (236)
“The import of his expulsion, however, is that most at these political constituents, including our party members who voted for him massively in the 2015 general election, have either been isolated or equally stand expelled. This does not portray a party in a good light
“Today, our party is standing in opposition to a desperate ruling political party which is in government, and we cannot afford this descent into the dangerous temptation of reducing our political strength and advantage; especially where matters of the law are concerned
“I would have thought our party would weigh in on the test of popularity of its actions among the voting masses in the Senatorial district before taking on such action and not fall into the trap of intrigues played by desperate members of the party whose singular objective is to hijack the party structure which they felt is in the hands and firm control of the Ogun State Senator.”
Hon Adekoya lamented that “it appears the national leadership of the party did not take into consideration the huge contributions of Senator Buruji to the electoral fortunes of the party in the state before taking the hasty decision to expel him and others.”
According to him, “It is instructive to note that Senator Kashamu had stood for the party when it mattered most, committing huge sums of his financial and material resources to stabilise the party at a time when fewer men will not dare, not only in Ogun State but in the entire South West which has earned him fanatical supporters and followership across the region.
“PDP stands to lose more than gain in the South West without his active support especially if he succumbs to the overwhelming pressure being mounted on him by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which he had constantly rebuffed due to the pressure some of us have also be mounting to deter him from such alliance.
“It is equally unthinkable and not known to our laws and constitution that any member, most especially a serving Senator and a strong party member like Prince Buruji Kashamu could be wittingly expelled without a fair hearing. This does not portend a good image for our party and can be demoralising to all its members.
“We should be reminded that Senator Kashamu was at the vanguard of those who got the present Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Foyose elected In 2014: he equally delivered nine (9) members of the Ogun State House of Assembly, two (2) members of the Home of Representatives, and one (1) Senator to the PDP in the 2015 elections in Ogun State even under the watch of a sitting Governor who belongs to an opposing party.”
Hon Adekoya further added in the letter, which was copied to the BoT Chairman, Secretary and Chief Shuaibu Oyedokun, that some desperate politicians may be behind the travails of Senator Buruji over their quest to control the PDP structure in Ogun State as a result of personal ambition.
According to him, “I am a serving member of the House of Representatives representing one of the three (3) Federal Constituencies under the Ogun East senatorial district, just like my friend and brother, Honourable Oladipupo Adebutu (whose sole aim and latest conduct in desperate aspiration is to assume the leadership of our party in the state to further his governorship ambition in 2019).
“I have no objection to any politician, not even a House of Representatives to seek for any higher political office or aspire to return or contest for any post but l hold strongly that our party is too big and it is inappropriate that structure of our party at any level should be surrendered to the whims and caprices of an individual representing just one out of the entire nine Federal Constituency simply for the sole pursuit of personal ambition to become a Governor.
“I consider it that it is in my political interest, and that of thousands of our party members in Ogun State for the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee to institute a perfect leadership structure for our party in the state, such that will not isolate other members by surrendering their fate into the hands of political merchants.
“My advice and suggestion is coming from my experience, which I have gathered over the years and I think it will be in the best interest of our party to rethink this singular decision which I believe cannot be in the overall interests of our party members when even the party which is in government are scouting for members and trying very hard to retain its customary memberships.”
“I will advise that this decision should be revisited especially if it is the desire of the PDP to participate and win the 2019 elections in Ogun State,” he pleaded.
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