– Adejola Adeyemi Crown
Senator Buruji Kashamu has refuted claims by the suspended Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ogun State chapter, Chief Bayo Dayo that he (Kashamu) rejected reconcilation move of the party.
This was contained in a press statement issued personally by Kashamu and made available to journalists in Abeokuta on Sunday.
Kashamu alleged that, Engr. Dayo betrayed the Ogun State PDP structure and its leadership by selling 70% of the party structure to Hon. Ladi Adebutu and 30% for himself with N100 million to boot.
He stressed further that Bayo Dayo cannot be part of any reconciliatory move because he lacked integrity to do so as such reconciliatory move should be championed by those who have the trust and confidence of the party.
He reiterated that any purported agreement signed by Chief Bayo Dayo would not stand as he had been suspended for anti-party activities which rendered the whole move a nullity.
Read the full statement below…
My attention has been drawn to a publication in The Punch newspaper of Saturday, 18th April, 2020, wherein the suspended Chairman of the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Adebayo Dayo, said it was either I embraced reconciliation or forget PDP. I laughed at his outlandish declaration because it is not in his place to determine who would stay in the PDP or not.
THE FACT
Contrary to his claim and pretence to facilitating reconciliation, Chief Dayo was only after what he could grab before leaving office. That is the only reason why he betrayed the Ogun State PDP structure and its leadership by selling 70% of the party structure to Hon. Ladi Adebutu and 30% for himself, with the N100 million to boot. The level of his betrayal is beyond pardon. He has forgotten so soon where he is coming from. Chief Dayo was a hunter who lived in an uncompleted building but while with me, he completed the house and built others. He was a party leader in Ward 3, Ome, Ijebu North Local Government Area under the leadership Senator Lekan Mustapha. Later on, we joined hands to celebrate Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye’s ministerial appointment. After the ceremony, Dayo betrayed his leaders and scattered their group. That was how he left unceremoniously. History is merely repeating itself. Truly, a leopard never changes its spots.
ON RECONCILIATION
I have never opposed any reconciliatory move because I know a tree does not make a forest. But, having shown his hands, Dayo cannot preside over any reconciliatory move. He cannot even be part of it because he does not have the integrity to do so. Rather, it should be championed by those who have the trust and confidence of the two main tendencies. The National leadership of the party is in a better position to call everyone, hear from them and resolve the issues in order for the PDP to move forward in Ogun State.
As a matter of fact, when Chief Dayo, Chief R.A Adenaike (a.k.a Baba Oloolu), Dr. Remilekun Bakare, Chief Kola Sorinola and the Acting PDP Chairman in Ogun State, Hon. Samson Bamgbose (a.k.a Imisi) came to meet me about the need for reconciliation, I told them that it was a good idea so long as they carry key stakeholders along after the congresses. I also told them that it was imperative for the other people to publicly repudiate the three-year agreement that they had with the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). But, Dayo chose to sidestep everyone and went behind to betray structure and purportedly sold it. This is nothing but a scam!
There was no genuine reconciliation in his moves. Reconciliation is a process. Parties have to meet, discuss and agree on the modalities and terms of settlement. There was no way he would think that just because he was the State Chairman, he could decide for all the leaders, elders and stakeholders.
SHARING OF STATE EXCO
Having been compromised, Chief Dayo alone went into series of meetings with some persons and shared the State PDP Exco. Frankly speaking, Chief Dayo’s move can never work. It can only compound the issues. If he thinks that heavily-induced proposal would pull through, then he is gravely mistaken. Upon Chief Dayo’s emergence as the State PDP Chairman, many leaders and stakeholders, including my humble self, did everything humanly possible to support him even when those he is now flirting with did everything to get him out. It was through this structure that Hon. Adebutu got the ticket that took him to the House of Representatives in 2015, after trying for close to 20 years. He had barely done three months at the House of Representatives when he declared that he wanted to be governor. He then started fighting those he thought could oppose him. That was how he divided the party. In 2015, we got nine House of Assembly seats, two House of Representatives and one Senate against the incumbent government.
THE NULLITY OF ANY PURPORTED AGREEMENT
Any purported agreement that Chief Dayo signed with anyone would not stand. Doing so after he was suspended for anti-party activities renders the whole move a nullity. It can never work. When we get to that bridge, we would cross it. He is trying hard to justify the money he was paid to betray all the party leaders and executives. His son spent nine years with me. During the period, he diverted and stole many things, including money, marble and granite, among others, which he used to build a house and bought 120-acres of land where he has a farm in Ijebu-Igbo. While supervising the building of the over N600 million worth Omoilu Foundation Complex, he inflated the bills of his contractor-friends. When Chief Dayo was confronted with all these by Dr. Bakare and Comrade Abayomi Arabambi, he said one should eat from where he works. This means he is an accomplice. At the appropriate time, the law will take its course. He may well spend the rest of his life shuttling between various Police formations and the court. It is going to be battle royal.
ON THE ISSUE OF N100 MILLION
Chief Dayo told Arabambi and others that he was offered 100million to sell the party structure to the Adebutus and that Hon. Ladi Adebutu brought N20 million upfront payment to him. But, he (Chief Dayo) asked Hon. Adebutu to keep it until he delivers on the deal they had struck. Chief Dayo said I had received hundreds of millions of naira on behalf of party members from different quarters which I never disclosed to him. This is a mere hogwash. He could not tell how much was received from who, where and when? No substance!
CONCLUSION
On a final note, Dayo said I am a good leader but not a good politician. That is a complement. I am not good politician because I am not good at his kind of debauchery and deceit. Conversely, Chief Dayo is a bad leader and greedy politician without a conscience. I thank the Almighty Allah that he was not paid to poison me. For us, as genuine party men and law-abiding citizens, we will continue to challenge illegality and injustice within the ambits of the law and other internal mechanisms of the party. And this will not be an exemption. The good people of Ogun State and indeed Nigeria should watch as events unfold. I am convinced that if all I have said is the truth, then victory is sure. And shame shall be the lot of traitors and liars.
Thank you.
SENATOR BURUJI KASHAMU
