The name Prince
Buruji Kashamu might not ring a bell in your ears if you are not
conversant with South West politics, especially in Ogun State but the
businessman and politician is the financier of the Peoples Democratic
Party in his home state, Ogun State.
In
this interview culled from the PUNCH, Kashamu speaks on his
contributions to PDP and why he will not stop using his finances to
support the party’s candidates in elections.
Excerpts:
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.
In
this interview culled from the PUNCH, Kashamu speaks on his
contributions to PDP and why he will not stop using his finances to
support the party’s candidates in elections.Excerpts:
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.
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