I'm ready to spend N1bn for PDP to win Ekiti election -Kashamu

Prince Buruji Kashamu is the financier of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State. In this interview with SEGUN OLATUNJI, he speaks on the many controversies surrounding his personality and the crisis rocking the PDP in the South West

Is it true that you are an international drug dealer?

I do not know what you are talking about. I have been in business since I was 18 years old. I built my first building in life in 1978 - a block of four flats in Ikotun Egbe, Lagos suburb. Today, I can count 65 houses; an industry that produces raw cotton (ginnery) in the Republic of Benin; two estates and many houses being managed by my real estate company; two hotels; an investment company that trades in shares, running into billions of naira and an oil marketing firm, among others. I have given you this background information to let you know that I do not have any reason whatsoever to be involved in drugs.

I have never in my life travelled to America or had any business in America, or even applied for its visa since I was born.  So, if there was a case of mistaken identity,  that does not make me to be a drug dealer. But our kind of politics is such that people take delight in blackmailing their opponents. But that will never deter me from my commitment to liberating our people.  More often than not, politicians ride on the back of our poor people to attain positions of authority, albeit violently. In the process, a lot of people die cheaply over a meagre N1, 000 or N2,000 but when they get into office, they soon forget the poor on whose back they rode to power. Intoxicated by perks of office and attraction of power, they would begin to impose their surrogates on the generality of the people. This is the kind of politics that I detest and have been fighting. A drug dealer does not fight publicly. A drug dealer does not live in the public eye. I am a genuine businessman with verifiable sources of income who has over 2,000 workers on his pay roll.

Furthermore, I think I have sufficiently addressed this issue in the newspapers and other media. The case that my detractors always refer to was a case of mistaken identity in a drug-related offence which happened over 19 years ago and for which I have been discharged and acquitted by the British courts. The British court, as per Lord Justice Pill and Mr. Justice Bell of the High Court of Justice, Queen Bench Division, said the US authorities suppressed exculpatory evidence in their desperation to indict me and discharged me in accordance with Articles 5 and 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights and Human Rights Act, 1998. The District Judge Tim Workman in finally discharging me in 2003 found from the evidence adduced during the three-year trial that I was not the person sought by the U.S. authorities and it was a case of mistaken identity. The U.S. Judge Norgle, in whose court I was also tried, held that I am not a fugitive from justice.

District Judge Workman in his judgment said, "As a result of the evidence that the Defence has placed before me and the evidence which the government has tendered in rebuttal, I find the following facts: that the defendant has a brother who bears a striking resemblance to that of his brother; I am satisfied that the defendant's brother was one of the co-conspirators in the drugs importation which involved Catherine and Ellen Wolters…

"I am however satisfied that the overwhelming evidence here is such that the identification evidence, already tenuous, has now been so undermined as to make it incredible and valueless. In those circumstances, there is then no prima facie case against the defendant and I propose to discharge him." So, if the first and second British courts tried and discharged me, what is the hullabaloo about? Again, you may wish to cross-check with the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency if I am one of the suspected drug dealers on its list.

In fact, the NDLEA in a counter-affidavit dated 6th of July, 2013 in Suit No FHC/L/CS/49/10, deposed to by one of its operatives, Kareem Olayinka, said in Paragraph 13 "That up till date, the United States Government has not made any request for the extradition of the Applicant (Prince Buruji Kashamu) to the 4th defendant (Chairman, Nigeria Drug Law and Enforcement Agency) to arrest, harass, detain, intimidate or prosecute the applicant for any reasons."  It also attached a list of wanted suspected drug suspects.

What's the source of your wealth?

(Laughs) Well, I don't know what you mean by the source of my wealth. But if you meant where I get the money to pay my bills, I will say that I am a  comfortable businessman and an entrepreneur. Since I ventured into business as a teenager in secondary school, I have never looked back. I am a shareholder in a number of companies here in Nigeria and across the West Coast. By the grace of God, I have an oil marketing firm. I own hotels and a property company with assets running into billions of Naira, among others. Now, the thing is not that I am the richest man in Ogun State or even in my community but the difference is that I give more freely than most of the rich men around; whatever I have, I share with people around me. And the more I do this, the more the almighty Allah blesses me. That is what makes it look as if I am outrageously rich!

But the United States' Federal Bureau is looking for you...

(Cuts in) I put the question back to you: what is my offence? And what is my business with FBI? Where is the warrant of arrest? Indeed if any international security agency is looking for anyone, it will go through the Interpol. I have had cause to publish the Interpol report which exonerated me of any wrong doing, both locally and internationally. It is dated 4th March, 2008. The Interpol in the six-page report, signed by ACP Haruna H. Mshelia for the Commissioner of Police (Interpol), particularly at Clause XI says "That contrary to the allegation, the suspect was not found to have engaged in fraudulent/clandestine activities as all records were checked both locally and internationally and all our probes were returned negative.

The suspect was never declared wanted or convicted either in Nigeria or anywhere in the world."

It went on to say in Clause XVI of the report "That all our letters written to Interpol London, Lyon, Washington and Cotonou relating to enquiries on criminal/drug/conviction records of the suspect were returned negative to the effect that the suspect was never convicted of such offence in their territory." I am giving you a copy of the report. You are at liberty to publish it for the whole world to see.

Why are you constantly linked with drugs?

It is simply because of politics. You would have noticed that this issue usually crops up when it is time for politicking. Since they have tried every other trick without success, they resorted to blackmailing me with this drug allegation with a view to getting me out of the way, so they can ride roughshod over our people. The reports of the Interpol and other statutory bodies and institutions have sufficiently answered this question.

But many people still believe you're a drug baron

Who are the many people? Perhaps,  my detractors. But the truth is they are not as many as the masses in Ogun State who believe that I am being maligned because of my insistence on empowering the people and returning power to them. There is no day that at least 50 people do not come to me or call me for  one assistance or the other. You have been covering our events for some time now; don't you see the thousands of people that troop to my house in Ijebu-Igbo anytime I visit? So who are the many people? Perhaps the elite who want to continue to suppress and oppress our people, hence they must paint me in the picture they have in mind and make it look as if it is the popular view. Those who were drug barons who later got into politics, embezzled money and perpetrated unimaginable violence, which led to the death of many people know themselves.

Funding a major political party is capital intensive. Where do you get funds for financing the PDP?

I told you earlier that I have flourishing businesses with over 2,000 employees. Now, like I previously said it is not that I am the richest man in my community or state but the difference is that I am a more generous giver. And I did say that the more I give, the more the almighty Allah blesses me. As I meet people's needs, wiping away their tears, the almighty Allah replenishes my pocket in million folds. So, deductively, I will say the almighty Allah is the source of my flourishing businesses and funds. I now love the game of politics and I'm passionate about the PDP.

What caused the misunderstanding among you, Chief Bode George and Gbenga Daniel?

I do not have any personal problem with either Chief Bode George or Otunba Gbenga Daniel. Our point of divergence is on principles. I think some of them do not like my guts. I cannot see black and call it white. The history of how Daniel invited me into the politics of Ogun State has been told several times than to warrant a repeat here. The same person later turned around and launched a campaign of calumny (like the drugs allegation) against my person just because of my principled stance on how to resolve the then lingering crisis of confidence in his administration during his second term. As for Chief Bode George, I have a lot of respect for him and he knows it. All through the struggle for the soul of the Ogun State PDP, he was with us. But what I think made him to join forces with my detractors was because some of our people within the Lagos PDP and the South West are saying it is not justifiable for certain people to continue to lay claim to the leadership of the party in their states and the South West without being able to win their polling booth since 1999; without being able to give to  the party.

Chief George feels that since some of those canvassing these views are close to me, then I must be behind it, hence he too joined the bandwagon of "Operation Pull Down Kashamu". It is unfortunate. Well, we are on speaking terms. There is nothing personal. I can pick up my phone and call anyone of them at anytime or even visit them and vice-versa. The other day, I visited Chief George in his Ikoyi and Abuja homes. I have visited Daniel a couple of times, just as he has visited me.

What's the relationship between you and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo?

It is an indisputable fact that the only superior, leading leader that we have in Yoruba land is Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. All others, including my humble self, are his foot soldiers. There is no quarrel between me and our Baba. He has been my father and he will continue to be my father. Even if we disagree on principles, we will resolve our differences like father and son that we are. He is my father and commander-in-chief. I say once again that I am just one of his foot soldiers.

Why are you in politics?

I am in politics to put smile on the faces of our people. As I have often stated, my venture into politics was more or less accidental. I joined politics as a peace-maker and consensus builder. I joined politics from my ward and I know how it works and thank the almighty Allah for where he has brought us today. But along the line, the very people who invited me, abandoned me and turned round against me. And anyone who knows me would tell you that I am not one who shies away from responsibilities. So, having set my hands on the plough, I could not look back in the battle to liberate our people from the stranglehold of the plunderers of our common wealth, empower them, restore their confidence and set them free from feeding on the crumbs that fall from the master's table.

How do you expect people to believe the story that it was your late younger brother that was involved in drugs?

It is not a story; it was the findings of well-established investigative agencies, such as Interpol, NDLEA and the confessional statements by the perpetrators themselves which resulted in my exoneration by many court judgments. I am only quoting the excerpts of the judgment.

Is it true that British police too are looking for you?

Again, the Interpol report in your possession refers. That has sufficiently addressed the issue. How can the British Police be looking for someone without a request to the Interpol?

When last did you travel out of Nigeria?

Oh! I do not know that as a private citizen when I travel or do not matters. But if you care to know, apart from short business trips within the West African sub-region where I have companies, I travel anytime I want.

Which countries have you travelled to?

I visit countries of my interest like Germany, France and others. May be when next I am travelling, I will invite you to come with me.

Why were you not present at the meeting President Jonathan held with South West leaders in Abuja on Wednesday?

The people they call South West leaders, sixty per cent of them are working for PDM. Two, they went there simply because they are of no political value. They went there to lie to Mr. President and that was why they did not include my name. They all know that over 80 per cent of our followers and members in the South West love me and they believe in my struggle to liberate our people regardless of politics. I want to say that Obasanjo is our leader. He is my father, I have worked with him, I've mobilised for him and I love him a lot and I'll always respect him because he's a man of honour. Bode George betrayed Baba Obasanjo and he believes that he can be using me to do many things which I'm not disposed to.

The congress that we were supposed to do on Saturday 24th, after Bode George had weighed all the delegates, they were afraid that if the congress should hold I would mobilise more people than they could have done and perhaps eventually, I would have defeated them. They were afraid of that and that was why they quickly arranged and went to Mr. President to lie to him that there was an injunction stopping the conduct of the South West congress that was supposed to take place last Saturday.

They told Mr. President that because of that court order and because the caretaker officers had already resigned, he should allow them to appoint a caretaker committee that would take charge of the party in the South West in place of the one appointed by the court. They were doing that hoping that Mr. President would give instructions that night and announce the names they had submitted to him so that they would be able to have the South-West through their own people, and through that, come back to political reckoning again. They had forgotten that the members of the former caretaker committee were appointed by the orders of the court and this court ruling forbids them from dissolving the caretaker committee until the election of new officers at a properly organised South West congress. The ruling dated 11/04/2013 restrains them from appointing any new caretaker committee. If they do that, it would amount to contempt.

How would you react to claims by your opponents that you cannot lead the party in the South West because you are a new entrant and that even in Ogun State where you control the party machinery, the PDP has been in permanent crisis?

The party is not in crisis. You have witnessed a lot of mobilisation that we have been doing.  These people are afraid, they don't love our party and they don't love Mr. President. I believe that they have another agenda. I'm not telling Bode George to quit. I'm not telling all the elders, including Baba Obasanjo to quit. I respect all of them. In every party there are foot soldiers. Bode George and the others are our respectable leaders and so we don't expect them to go and mobilise people.  We don't expect them to go to the streets and wards to mobilise. They are supposed to be there as our leaders and advisers and we would be under them. They must allow those who have the money, who believe in and have passion for the PDP and who do not care to spend their money and use their resources for the party, to mobilise for the party to grow so that we can be strong enough to take over from the ruling party in the South West in 2015.

They cannot say that I cannot lead the party in the zone. It is totally wrong for them to say that. I am capable any day, any time. I have the resources.

Some of the PDP leaders are of the opinion that you must reconcile with  former President Obasanjo if you want to continue to relate with President Jonathan...

(Cuts in) You know all these people have been blackmailing me, calling me this and that. But do you know what they call "Ibon Oselu". That is the gun of politics.

It is a situation where they continue to blackmail you with different stories and all sorts of things everyday. But I'm not bothered. I used to mobilise for President Obasanjo. I was the one that took over the structure of the party in Ogun State and if I had wanted to use it to become the governor, I would not take the power and hand it over to Baba Obasanjo. What kind of fight would I engage in with Baba Obasanjo? Baba Obasanjo is my father any day, anytime. I don't have any problem with Baba Obasanjo and I remain one of his foot soldiers. I'm not looking for appointment, I'm not looking for governorship or ministerial positions, I have a passion for the PDP and I love President Jonathan. I can shed my last blood for President Jonathan. Those sycophants around Baba Obasanjo who go to him are the ones saying all the rubbish but because I believe that Baba Obasanjo is my father, there is no way he would continue to believe those people. By next week I will be in baba Obasanjo's house. I call him regularly and we speak anytime, any day.  I also speak with his family.

But that does not mean that if there are some people around baba that are doing something that is not good and they don't want to see reason that their actions are wrong, if it becomes necessary, we'll engage in a fight. We are all baba's children and anyone that has an upper hand after the fight, is the winner. That is life.

But some leaders of the PDP are said to prefer Bode George to you as their leader in the zone?

I'm not disputing the fact that Chief Bode George is a leader of the party in the South West. But what I'm trying to make clear is that Bode George is not a foot soldier who can go to the wards, the streets to mobilise. There are leaders and there are leaders and whether they like it or not, I'm one of the leaders in the South West. But what I'm saying is that they must give me my own role so that I will be able to mobilise.  My own objective is to ensure that the PDP takes the South West in 2015. I don't want to fail and I don't believe in failure.

There is this opinion being expressed by the party leaders that with you as the leader of the PDP in the South West, the party would not be able to dislodge the ruling party in the zone in 2015?

(laughs) You can see that we are proving them wrong with the situation of the party in Ogun State. You are aware that thousands of the members of even the ruling APC, the Labour Party and the PPN have been defecting to the PDP in Ogun State.

In Ijebu-Igbo recently about 5,000 defected to the PDP. This evidence is very clear for all to see and  I'm telling you I'm one of the foot soldiers. I'm ready to contribute resources for mobilisation but this is what many politicians don't like doing. For example, I'm ready to spend even N1bn to ensure the success of the PDP governorship candidate in Ekiti State during the forthcoming election. It would be a shame on my part if I fail to do that. I'm ready to do the same thing in Osun and Oyo States. I did not just start doing all of that today.  A reference point was when Alao-Akala wanted to contest for the governorship in Oyo, because of the passion I have for the PDP, I spent over N200m to support him and he won. I also supported Timipre Sylva in Bayelsa State.

I gave him over 17 jeeps, three trailer-loads of Ankara clothing materials with his picture and that of his deputy embossed on them and also gave him a lot of cash because President Jonathan was campaigning for him and he asked all of us to join hands in ensuring his victory at the poll. After Sylva won, he gave me the IGR in Bayelsa which I managed for about two years and during which I raised the revenue from N200m to over N1bn monthly before I left the state. Also, when Obanikoro contested for the governorship in Lagos, I knew the millions of Naira I spent with about ten new cars that I gave to him. I supported him fully. If I have done all this and with all I have been doing for the PDP since 2009, I have spent billions of Naira of my own money and I've never taken a kobo from the party or anything from the government, you have seen all the empowerment that we have been doing.

So, how can somebody now tell me that all these our leaders who are now old and no longer agile like the young ones should be on the field? It would be difficult for anybody to tell me that in spite of all these programmes we have embarked upon, we cannot win in the South West. I do not agree with that. It is totally wrong. You know in the South West they call me a man of authority. I'm a man that will say something today and people will believe because it will happen. I'm a courageous man. I'm contented and also devoted. So, what are they talking about? I want to say that with me, Kashamu, the ruling parties in the South West are in trouble.*

Punch