Obasanjo writes Tukur, suspends self from PDP over alleged installation of criminal as party leader

Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has announced the suspension of himself from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), protesting what he called, the installation of a known criminal as the leader of the party in his South West Zone.

Obasanjo, who also served as chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT) shortly after he completed his two-term tenure as President made it clear that he would no longer take part in any activity of the party until the matter is addressed. In a letter dated January 8, which he addressed to the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, with a copy to President Goodluck Jonathan, the former President complained that one Buruji Kashamu has been extolled as the PDP leader in the South-West geo-political zone which he said he 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.' Obasanjo said that while he believed 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, he also believed 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.