The best thing that can happen to our great
party is the peaceful resolution of all crises
within the Party and uniting all factions to pose
a more united and formidable opposition. It is
for this reason that I am not against any
decision reached by the leaders and elders of
our great party, including the Board of
Trustees, on the party leadership crisis. But
such decisions must be decent, reasonable and
justifiable and not condone or endorse
impunity. I love, appreciate and value our party,
elders and leaders but cannot endorse
injustice.
THE NATIONAL CONVENTION/NATIONAL
CARETAKER COMMITTEE
The way and manner in which the National
Convention was convoked leaves much to be
desired. There can be no valid National
Convention in the absence of valid delegates.
There can also be no valid National Convention
without a proper quorum, which is by the
Constitution of the Party two-thirds of valid
embers and delegates of the National
Convention.
Furthermore, all decisions taken at the National
Convention must be by voting.
Even if a caretaker committee was to have
been constituted, its members ought to have
been elected at a valid National Convention.
The imposition of the Caretaker Committee by
a powerful few is against our Constitution and
should not be allowed to stand because the
manner in which the Caretaker Committee was
constituted dents the integrity of the
committee, its eminent members as well as the
party. It was public knowledge that the National
Chairman had, in order to avoid all these crisis,
postponed the National Convention and he did
not mandate the Deputy National Chairman,
Prince Uche Secondus, to stand in for him
because he was on ground in Port Harcourt, the
Rivers State capital.
Chief Secondus’ role in acting for the National
Chairman was further circumscribed by the
judgment of the FCT High Court in a case
instituted by former Presidential aide, Alhaji
Ahmed Gulak. In the judgment, the court
restrained Chief Secondus from acting for the
National Chairman or performing his functions.
It is instructive that he filed and lost an appeal
at the Court of Appeal against the judgment.
Therefore, Chief Secondus cannot validly claim
to have acted for the National Chairman when a
court judgment forbids him from doing so,
irrespective of whatever the party’s constitution
says. That is a clear contamination of the
National Convention and all that took place
there.
What is more, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/637/2016
filed by the National Auditor, Alhaji Fatai
Adeyanju, to preempt those who planned to
hold parallel National Convention and make the
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) to monitor and recognize only the
National Convention presided over by
Senator Sheriff, the court expressly ordered
parties in the suit, including the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP), which is the 2nd
defendant, “not to take any step that will foist a
fait accompli on the Court”. It therefore meant
that any convention presided over by any other
person except Senator Sheriff is tantamount to
overreaching a valid and subsisting court order
(See Annexure I).
We should devise a way to rectify the
illegalities so that it does not make our party
vulnerable to those who might want to exploit
the situation in the future and make a waste of
our efforts at rebuilding the party ahead of
future elections. It should be recalled that we
had a similar situation in the build up to the
last general election when the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) insisted
that certain positions in the then National
Working Committee (NWC) were filled by
affirmation and not election. This forced the
party to organize a midterm National
Convention to rectify the situation.
IMPUNITY/LAWLESSNESS OF GOVERNOR
FAYOSE
Some party leaders have all along been acting
as a law unto themselves and carrying on with
impunity irrespective of whether their actions
are in the interest of the Party. Such actions, if
not checked, could further stigmatize the Party
as a lawless organization. It was Governor
Fayose who came to me and said we should
work for Senator Sheriff. He said I should start
a heavy campaign because the governors had
decided that he was the only one that could
save the party.
Yet, it was the same Governor Fayose that
tricked his colleague-gover nors and hijacked
the National Convention for his personal
interests even in the face of obvious illegalities.
This can be clearly seen from the text message
that was sent to him by one of his lawyers, Dr.
Yemi Oke, on the same 21st of May, 2016.
For the avoidance of doubt, Oke, in the text
message sent from his telephone number
08023148096 said, “Your Excly: Gov. Fayose
sir. There is a very serious problem in the
pipeline…the election should go on and we may
appoint the three of them to function in Acting
capacity. Constituting all as caretaker
committee is very risky and dangerous. The
other side will constitute a proper Exco and
Challenge and defeat your own Caretaker
Committee. Yours will be caretaker.
They will call theirs NWC and will move round
the courts to get a funny order/judgment to
regularize. Alternatively, we do election and not
release result till Tuesday. Or release all
except the three and get the Convention to
appoint them in an acting capacity. At any rate,
the matter is on appeal and they will be in
office while the other group will be in court for
the next 5 years. Let’s be strategic and
imaginative sir – Dr. YemiOke.”
Despite his lawyer warning him of the dire
consequences of the idea of a National
Caretaker Committee, Governor Fayose goaded
his colleagues to constitute it. He wants to
take over the structure of the Party in the
South West as a means to execute his plan to
bid for the position of vice-presidential
candidate in 2019.
When he approached me with a plan to sack all
the national officers of the party from the
South West and replace them, I refused
because the National Secretary had hitherto
done a good job. I suggested to him that we
should retain the National Secretary in his
position and zone the positions of National
Publicity Secretary and National Auditor to
Lagos and Ekiti states. However, Governor
Fayose has handpicked those he wants to use
to fill these positions.
For instance, in Oyo State, he handpicked, Hon.
MulikatAdeola-Akande as his candidate for the
position of National Secretary. For National
Auditor, he handpicked one Mr. Adeyemo, a
career staff and former Deputy Director in the
Office of the National Auditor, who is from Oyo
State but claims to be from Lagos State.
He has pencilled down his Special Assistant on
Public Communication and New Media as the
candidate for the National Publicity Secretary,
and then purportedly conceded a non-existent
post of the National Vice-Chairman, South
West, to Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo
State. So, if he has single-handedly positioned
his cronies for the positions of National
Secretary, National Publicity Secretary and
National Auditor.
Where is the justice in all of these? SOUTH
WEST ZONAL CONGRESS Governor Fayose
decided to hold what he termed an elective
zonal congress in the South West as at the
time Lagos, Osun and Oyo states had not yet
finished their state congresses; only Ogun,
Ondo and Ekiti states were ready. He ignored
the fact and took those who are not delegates
from the Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Ogun
states to what he called the zonal congress
from which zonal officers purportedly emerged.
Whereas in actual fact, only two states – Ondo
and Ekiti states – had authentic delegates at
the exercise. It should be noted that the tenure
of the zonal exco that was purportedly replaced
at the exercise had not elapsed. Indeed, a
court had restrained the party from conducting
fresh zonal congress for the South
West since the tenure of the present exco will
lapse in 2018. Yet, Governor Fayose brushed
this aside and took his illegal delegates and
South West zonal exco to the National
Convention in Port Harcourt; thus
contaminating the National Convention with his
illegalities. It should be noted that purported
zonal congress was nullified by the court on
the 17th of May, 2016 (See Annexure II).
GOVERNOR FAYOSE’S ROLE AT THE
NATIONAL CONVENTION
On the day of the National Convention,
Governor Fayose removed all the genuine
delegates from the South West Zone from the
Convention Programme/Delegates List.
Congresses were conducted in Ogun State,
which were monitored by INEC and have been
confirmed by the National Working Committee
and a subsisting order of court as authentic,
yet Governor Fayose also brought persons who
did not participate in the congresses as
delegates for Ogun State.
Governor Fayose brought persons who never
participated in the Congresses conducted in
their various states to represent Lagos, Ogun,
Osun and Oyo states to the convention. He
inserted eight pages of illegitimate delegates
list into the Convention Programme and
manipulated and blanked out names of
legitimate delegates from pages 81 – 83 of the
same document in order to bring in his own
choice of illegal delegates (See Annexure III).
He also brought a purported list of South West
Zonal Exco for the Convention when the
elections from which they emerged had been
nullified by the court.
He put his people in Page 81 and blanked out
names of delegates approved by the National
Working Committee and the NEC in Page 83 of
the same document, and replaced them with
his manufactured list. These included the
States and Local Government Exco members.
Governor Fayose confiscated all the tags
meant for delegates from the South West and
gave them to fake delegates he handpicked
from the various states in the zone.
Consequently, when the authentic delegates
went to collect their tags, they were given
observer tags in order for them to gain entry
into the National Convention ground. This is an
act of complete lawlessness and it stinks with
illegality. How do we justify all these actions?
THE NOMINATION OF PRINCE ADEYEYE TO
THE NATIONAL CARETAKER COMMITTEE
Seeing all the illegalities that Governor Fayose
has done, how can we trust his motive in hand-
picking Prince Adeyeye?
There is no doubt that Prince Adeyeye is a fine
gentleman, cool-headed and an honourable
person who is eminently qualified to hold any
position of importance.
But the way he was hand-picked by Governor
Fayose to represent the South West Zone
without due consultation with other leaders of
the party in the zone leaves much to be
desired. Many notable leaders of the party are
not happy that they were not consulted and
carried along in the choice. It is doubtful if
Prince Adeyeye would work for the interests of
all stakeholders in the Party and not do only
the bidding of Governor Fayose who nominated
him.
I am one of the leaders of the PDP in South
West and I have contributed greatly and
invested great efforts and resources in ensuring
the success of the Party especially in the
South West Zone of our country. I participated
in all the elections conducted in the South
West and expended great efforts and resources
in mobilizing the electorate to vote in favour of
the Party especially in Ekiti and Osun states.
I can boldly say that I am one of the people
responsible for the successful emergence of
Governor Fayose as a candidate and governor
of Ekiti State. I believe that I am one of the
leaders in the South West Zone of the Party to
be reckoned with.
THE HUMILIATION OF SENATOR ALI MODU
SHERIFF AND THE WAY OUT
Some governors brought Senator Ali Modu
Sheriff to be Chairman of the Party and then
turned around to embarrass and disgrace him
at the National Convention. If they want the
progress of the Party and are not merely
serving their personal interests, they should
give him a soft-landing and allowed him leave
the leadership of the Party in a more dignified
and matured way. The truth is that Senator
Sheriff has been hurt and shortchanged; he
spent enormous resources in rejuvenating party,
procuring the nomination form and sponsoring
delegates to the venue of the National
Convention.
He never wanted to be the National Chairman.
Some of eaders, particularly the governors,
brought him. Every action he took was at the
behest of some of the governors. Yet, the very
people who goaded him on, tricked him and
literally stripped him in the open.
No leader worth his mettle will watch passively
while others trample on his rights and dignity.
It is my considered view that because of the
betrayal, open shame and ridicule that Senator
Sheriff has been subjected to, it is incumbent
on the leadership of the party to plead with him
and seek his forgiveness in order for him to
withdraw all the cases in court. Some
commensurate measure of restitution must be
seen to have been done in the true spirit of
genuine reconciliation and peace.
ZONING
It is true that I have been one of the ardent
campaigners for the National Chairmanship to
be zoned to the North until a Presidential
candidate of Northern extraction emerges in
2018,in accordance with the zoning principle of
our party and the resolution of the National
Executive Committee (NEC).
I and some like minds were of the view that
this would help to strengthen the party in the
North since it has only two governors out of
the 12 Governors produced by our party. This is
coupled with the fact that not many of our
leaders in the South are ready to finance the
party. We reasoned that the National
Chairmanship could return to the South in 2018.
However, we were quick to add that our views
were not final. We indeed encouraged other
stakeholders who had contrary views to air
such and let reason prevail.
It is in the light of the above that I wish to say
that if all critical stakeholders agree that the
National Chairmanship position should be zoned
to the South West, the interest of the party
officials – the National Secretary, Prof.
AdewaleOladipo (Osun) and the National
Auditor, AlhajiFataiAdeyanju (Ogun) – whose
tenures are yet to expire and are in court
should be considered. This could be a good way
to pacify them towards an amicable resolution
of the crisis. I am also willing to engage and
persuade them in the overall interest of the
party.
It should be noted that they came into office
by virtue of a Special National Convention that
was held on the 10th and 11th of December,
2014(See Annexure IV).
LITIGATIONS
I am aware of the advice of our leaders and
elders that the suits that have been filed in
court should be withdrawn in the nterest of
peace and reconciliation. But, the painful
reality is that because of Governor Fayose’s
actions and manipulative tendencies as
captured above, many of the South West
states,if not all, are in court in order to protect
their rights and safeguard the well-organised
and acceptable congresses in heir respective
states. Millions of naira was spent in organizing
the congresses in various states, with INEC and
other relevant agencies present.
These agencies have since issued their reports
and endorsed the congresses. As for members
of the South West zonal exco, there was no
congress because the tenure of the current
exco elapses in 2018.
The exco came into office in October, 2014
(See Annexure V & VI). It should be noted that
the South West zonal exco is also in court.
Given Governor Fayose’s scant regard for the
party’s constitution and his open show of
awlessness and impunity, it will be difficult to
persuade them to waive their rights.
In the light of the above circumstances, it is
my well considered view that all the
congresses held in the South West states that
have been ratified by the NEC and approved by
INEC and other relevant bodies should be
upheld while the Zonal Exco be allowed to
serve their tenure till 2018.
CONCLUSION
My superior elders and leaders, if we want the
progress of the party, all the illegalities must
stop. Senator Makarfi is a cool- headed,
intelligent and responsible leader with enviable
antecedents. It will be better to call for a NEC
meeting to pass a resolution to make Senator
Makarfi the acting National Chairman because
of the circumstances that gave birth to the
National Caretaker Committee. The cloud of
illegality that is hovering over our party began
in the South West.
As stated earlier, it has its roots in Governor
Fayose’s attempt to remove and replace
members of the zonal exco whose four-year
tenure has not expired because they came into
office in 2014 and there is no evidence of any
misconduct or anti-party activities against
them. We cannot use illegality to solve the
problem of the Party.
We need to call a NEC meeting where we could
right the wrongs in order to preempt
mischievous elements or the opposition who
could use some disloyal members of the party
in the nearest future to question the legality of
the Senator Makarfi- led National Caretaker
Committee and its activities, including the
emergence of a new NWC that will guide the
party to choose candidates for elections at
various levels.
By appointing a National Caretaker Committee
who will conduct the National Convention that
will appoint the officers of the Party who will in
turn conduct the National Convention in which
the presidential candidate would be elected, we
may be building the future of the Party on
illegality. This is part of what led to our defeat
at the last elections. We must prevent it from
happening again. We have to get rid of the
illegality so that we can build our party on a
solid and sure foundation.
I appreciate the honor given to me by inviting
me for a reconciliation meeting as one of the
leaders of the party to be reckoned with in the
South West. I wish to assure my respected
leaders and elders that I am deeply committed
to the peace process in the overall interest of
our party.
* This is the full text of a position paper
submitted to the Board of Trustees by Senator
Buruji Kashamu.
Editor The Trace Reporter
party is the peaceful resolution of all crises
within the Party and uniting all factions to pose
a more united and formidable opposition. It is
for this reason that I am not against any
decision reached by the leaders and elders of
our great party, including the Board of
Trustees, on the party leadership crisis. But
such decisions must be decent, reasonable and
justifiable and not condone or endorse
impunity. I love, appreciate and value our party,
elders and leaders but cannot endorse
injustice.
THE NATIONAL CONVENTION/NATIONAL
CARETAKER COMMITTEE
The way and manner in which the National
Convention was convoked leaves much to be
desired. There can be no valid National
Convention in the absence of valid delegates.
There can also be no valid National Convention
without a proper quorum, which is by the
Constitution of the Party two-thirds of valid
embers and delegates of the National
Convention.
Furthermore, all decisions taken at the National
Convention must be by voting.
Even if a caretaker committee was to have
been constituted, its members ought to have
been elected at a valid National Convention.
The imposition of the Caretaker Committee by
a powerful few is against our Constitution and
should not be allowed to stand because the
manner in which the Caretaker Committee was
constituted dents the integrity of the
committee, its eminent members as well as the
party. It was public knowledge that the National
Chairman had, in order to avoid all these crisis,
postponed the National Convention and he did
not mandate the Deputy National Chairman,
Prince Uche Secondus, to stand in for him
because he was on ground in Port Harcourt, the
Rivers State capital.
Chief Secondus’ role in acting for the National
Chairman was further circumscribed by the
judgment of the FCT High Court in a case
instituted by former Presidential aide, Alhaji
Ahmed Gulak. In the judgment, the court
restrained Chief Secondus from acting for the
National Chairman or performing his functions.
It is instructive that he filed and lost an appeal
at the Court of Appeal against the judgment.
Therefore, Chief Secondus cannot validly claim
to have acted for the National Chairman when a
court judgment forbids him from doing so,
irrespective of whatever the party’s constitution
says. That is a clear contamination of the
National Convention and all that took place
there.
What is more, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/637/2016
filed by the National Auditor, Alhaji Fatai
Adeyanju, to preempt those who planned to
hold parallel National Convention and make the
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) to monitor and recognize only the
National Convention presided over by
Senator Sheriff, the court expressly ordered
parties in the suit, including the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP), which is the 2nd
defendant, “not to take any step that will foist a
fait accompli on the Court”. It therefore meant
that any convention presided over by any other
person except Senator Sheriff is tantamount to
overreaching a valid and subsisting court order
(See Annexure I).
We should devise a way to rectify the
illegalities so that it does not make our party
vulnerable to those who might want to exploit
the situation in the future and make a waste of
our efforts at rebuilding the party ahead of
future elections. It should be recalled that we
had a similar situation in the build up to the
last general election when the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) insisted
that certain positions in the then National
Working Committee (NWC) were filled by
affirmation and not election. This forced the
party to organize a midterm National
Convention to rectify the situation.
IMPUNITY/LAWLESSNESS OF GOVERNOR
FAYOSE
Some party leaders have all along been acting
as a law unto themselves and carrying on with
impunity irrespective of whether their actions
are in the interest of the Party. Such actions, if
not checked, could further stigmatize the Party
as a lawless organization. It was Governor
Fayose who came to me and said we should
work for Senator Sheriff. He said I should start
a heavy campaign because the governors had
decided that he was the only one that could
save the party.
Yet, it was the same Governor Fayose that
tricked his colleague-gover nors and hijacked
the National Convention for his personal
interests even in the face of obvious illegalities.
This can be clearly seen from the text message
that was sent to him by one of his lawyers, Dr.
Yemi Oke, on the same 21st of May, 2016.
For the avoidance of doubt, Oke, in the text
message sent from his telephone number
08023148096 said, “Your Excly: Gov. Fayose
sir. There is a very serious problem in the
pipeline…the election should go on and we may
appoint the three of them to function in Acting
capacity. Constituting all as caretaker
committee is very risky and dangerous. The
other side will constitute a proper Exco and
Challenge and defeat your own Caretaker
Committee. Yours will be caretaker.
They will call theirs NWC and will move round
the courts to get a funny order/judgment to
regularize. Alternatively, we do election and not
release result till Tuesday. Or release all
except the three and get the Convention to
appoint them in an acting capacity. At any rate,
the matter is on appeal and they will be in
office while the other group will be in court for
the next 5 years. Let’s be strategic and
imaginative sir – Dr. YemiOke.”
Despite his lawyer warning him of the dire
consequences of the idea of a National
Caretaker Committee, Governor Fayose goaded
his colleagues to constitute it. He wants to
take over the structure of the Party in the
South West as a means to execute his plan to
bid for the position of vice-presidential
candidate in 2019.
When he approached me with a plan to sack all
the national officers of the party from the
South West and replace them, I refused
because the National Secretary had hitherto
done a good job. I suggested to him that we
should retain the National Secretary in his
position and zone the positions of National
Publicity Secretary and National Auditor to
Lagos and Ekiti states. However, Governor
Fayose has handpicked those he wants to use
to fill these positions.
For instance, in Oyo State, he handpicked, Hon.
MulikatAdeola-Akande as his candidate for the
position of National Secretary. For National
Auditor, he handpicked one Mr. Adeyemo, a
career staff and former Deputy Director in the
Office of the National Auditor, who is from Oyo
State but claims to be from Lagos State.
He has pencilled down his Special Assistant on
Public Communication and New Media as the
candidate for the National Publicity Secretary,
and then purportedly conceded a non-existent
post of the National Vice-Chairman, South
West, to Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo
State. So, if he has single-handedly positioned
his cronies for the positions of National
Secretary, National Publicity Secretary and
National Auditor.
Where is the justice in all of these? SOUTH
WEST ZONAL CONGRESS Governor Fayose
decided to hold what he termed an elective
zonal congress in the South West as at the
time Lagos, Osun and Oyo states had not yet
finished their state congresses; only Ogun,
Ondo and Ekiti states were ready. He ignored
the fact and took those who are not delegates
from the Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Ogun
states to what he called the zonal congress
from which zonal officers purportedly emerged.
Whereas in actual fact, only two states – Ondo
and Ekiti states – had authentic delegates at
the exercise. It should be noted that the tenure
of the zonal exco that was purportedly replaced
at the exercise had not elapsed. Indeed, a
court had restrained the party from conducting
fresh zonal congress for the South
West since the tenure of the present exco will
lapse in 2018. Yet, Governor Fayose brushed
this aside and took his illegal delegates and
South West zonal exco to the National
Convention in Port Harcourt; thus
contaminating the National Convention with his
illegalities. It should be noted that purported
zonal congress was nullified by the court on
the 17th of May, 2016 (See Annexure II).
GOVERNOR FAYOSE’S ROLE AT THE
NATIONAL CONVENTION
On the day of the National Convention,
Governor Fayose removed all the genuine
delegates from the South West Zone from the
Convention Programme/Delegates List.
Congresses were conducted in Ogun State,
which were monitored by INEC and have been
confirmed by the National Working Committee
and a subsisting order of court as authentic,
yet Governor Fayose also brought persons who
did not participate in the congresses as
delegates for Ogun State.
Governor Fayose brought persons who never
participated in the Congresses conducted in
their various states to represent Lagos, Ogun,
Osun and Oyo states to the convention. He
inserted eight pages of illegitimate delegates
list into the Convention Programme and
manipulated and blanked out names of
legitimate delegates from pages 81 – 83 of the
same document in order to bring in his own
choice of illegal delegates (See Annexure III).
He also brought a purported list of South West
Zonal Exco for the Convention when the
elections from which they emerged had been
nullified by the court.
He put his people in Page 81 and blanked out
names of delegates approved by the National
Working Committee and the NEC in Page 83 of
the same document, and replaced them with
his manufactured list. These included the
States and Local Government Exco members.
Governor Fayose confiscated all the tags
meant for delegates from the South West and
gave them to fake delegates he handpicked
from the various states in the zone.
Consequently, when the authentic delegates
went to collect their tags, they were given
observer tags in order for them to gain entry
into the National Convention ground. This is an
act of complete lawlessness and it stinks with
illegality. How do we justify all these actions?
THE NOMINATION OF PRINCE ADEYEYE TO
THE NATIONAL CARETAKER COMMITTEE
Seeing all the illegalities that Governor Fayose
has done, how can we trust his motive in hand-
picking Prince Adeyeye?
There is no doubt that Prince Adeyeye is a fine
gentleman, cool-headed and an honourable
person who is eminently qualified to hold any
position of importance.
But the way he was hand-picked by Governor
Fayose to represent the South West Zone
without due consultation with other leaders of
the party in the zone leaves much to be
desired. Many notable leaders of the party are
not happy that they were not consulted and
carried along in the choice. It is doubtful if
Prince Adeyeye would work for the interests of
all stakeholders in the Party and not do only
the bidding of Governor Fayose who nominated
him.
I am one of the leaders of the PDP in South
West and I have contributed greatly and
invested great efforts and resources in ensuring
the success of the Party especially in the
South West Zone of our country. I participated
in all the elections conducted in the South
West and expended great efforts and resources
in mobilizing the electorate to vote in favour of
the Party especially in Ekiti and Osun states.
I can boldly say that I am one of the people
responsible for the successful emergence of
Governor Fayose as a candidate and governor
of Ekiti State. I believe that I am one of the
leaders in the South West Zone of the Party to
be reckoned with.
THE HUMILIATION OF SENATOR ALI MODU
SHERIFF AND THE WAY OUT
Some governors brought Senator Ali Modu
Sheriff to be Chairman of the Party and then
turned around to embarrass and disgrace him
at the National Convention. If they want the
progress of the Party and are not merely
serving their personal interests, they should
give him a soft-landing and allowed him leave
the leadership of the Party in a more dignified
and matured way. The truth is that Senator
Sheriff has been hurt and shortchanged; he
spent enormous resources in rejuvenating party,
procuring the nomination form and sponsoring
delegates to the venue of the National
Convention.
He never wanted to be the National Chairman.
Some of eaders, particularly the governors,
brought him. Every action he took was at the
behest of some of the governors. Yet, the very
people who goaded him on, tricked him and
literally stripped him in the open.
No leader worth his mettle will watch passively
while others trample on his rights and dignity.
It is my considered view that because of the
betrayal, open shame and ridicule that Senator
Sheriff has been subjected to, it is incumbent
on the leadership of the party to plead with him
and seek his forgiveness in order for him to
withdraw all the cases in court. Some
commensurate measure of restitution must be
seen to have been done in the true spirit of
genuine reconciliation and peace.
ZONING
It is true that I have been one of the ardent
campaigners for the National Chairmanship to
be zoned to the North until a Presidential
candidate of Northern extraction emerges in
2018,in accordance with the zoning principle of
our party and the resolution of the National
Executive Committee (NEC).
I and some like minds were of the view that
this would help to strengthen the party in the
North since it has only two governors out of
the 12 Governors produced by our party. This is
coupled with the fact that not many of our
leaders in the South are ready to finance the
party. We reasoned that the National
Chairmanship could return to the South in 2018.
However, we were quick to add that our views
were not final. We indeed encouraged other
stakeholders who had contrary views to air
such and let reason prevail.
It is in the light of the above that I wish to say
that if all critical stakeholders agree that the
National Chairmanship position should be zoned
to the South West, the interest of the party
officials – the National Secretary, Prof.
AdewaleOladipo (Osun) and the National
Auditor, AlhajiFataiAdeyanju (Ogun) – whose
tenures are yet to expire and are in court
should be considered. This could be a good way
to pacify them towards an amicable resolution
of the crisis. I am also willing to engage and
persuade them in the overall interest of the
party.
It should be noted that they came into office
by virtue of a Special National Convention that
was held on the 10th and 11th of December,
2014(See Annexure IV).
LITIGATIONS
I am aware of the advice of our leaders and
elders that the suits that have been filed in
court should be withdrawn in the nterest of
peace and reconciliation. But, the painful
reality is that because of Governor Fayose’s
actions and manipulative tendencies as
captured above, many of the South West
states,if not all, are in court in order to protect
their rights and safeguard the well-organised
and acceptable congresses in heir respective
states. Millions of naira was spent in organizing
the congresses in various states, with INEC and
other relevant agencies present.
These agencies have since issued their reports
and endorsed the congresses. As for members
of the South West zonal exco, there was no
congress because the tenure of the current
exco elapses in 2018.
The exco came into office in October, 2014
(See Annexure V & VI). It should be noted that
the South West zonal exco is also in court.
Given Governor Fayose’s scant regard for the
party’s constitution and his open show of
awlessness and impunity, it will be difficult to
persuade them to waive their rights.
In the light of the above circumstances, it is
my well considered view that all the
congresses held in the South West states that
have been ratified by the NEC and approved by
INEC and other relevant bodies should be
upheld while the Zonal Exco be allowed to
serve their tenure till 2018.
CONCLUSION
My superior elders and leaders, if we want the
progress of the party, all the illegalities must
stop. Senator Makarfi is a cool- headed,
intelligent and responsible leader with enviable
antecedents. It will be better to call for a NEC
meeting to pass a resolution to make Senator
Makarfi the acting National Chairman because
of the circumstances that gave birth to the
National Caretaker Committee. The cloud of
illegality that is hovering over our party began
in the South West.
As stated earlier, it has its roots in Governor
Fayose’s attempt to remove and replace
members of the zonal exco whose four-year
tenure has not expired because they came into
office in 2014 and there is no evidence of any
misconduct or anti-party activities against
them. We cannot use illegality to solve the
problem of the Party.
We need to call a NEC meeting where we could
right the wrongs in order to preempt
mischievous elements or the opposition who
could use some disloyal members of the party
in the nearest future to question the legality of
the Senator Makarfi- led National Caretaker
Committee and its activities, including the
emergence of a new NWC that will guide the
party to choose candidates for elections at
various levels.
By appointing a National Caretaker Committee
who will conduct the National Convention that
will appoint the officers of the Party who will in
turn conduct the National Convention in which
the presidential candidate would be elected, we
may be building the future of the Party on
illegality. This is part of what led to our defeat
at the last elections. We must prevent it from
happening again. We have to get rid of the
illegality so that we can build our party on a
solid and sure foundation.
I appreciate the honor given to me by inviting
me for a reconciliation meeting as one of the
leaders of the party to be reckoned with in the
South West. I wish to assure my respected
leaders and elders that I am deeply committed
to the peace process in the overall interest of
our party.
* This is the full text of a position paper
submitted to the Board of Trustees by Senator
Buruji Kashamu.
Editor The Trace Reporter
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