By Uzoma Akobundu
The face-off between Senator Buruji Kashamu representing Ogun East Senatorial District and former Governor Gbenga Daniel Of Ogun State seems not over yet as the senator has said it will be “a monumental disaster” to elect Daniel as the national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Daniel formally declared to contest the position on Wednesday, October 18 in Abuja where he addressed a world news conference.
Reacting to Daniel’s declaration to vie for the position Kashamu said in a statement that the former governor was the least qualified among those aspiring for the post.
Kashamu said: “When I heard that he was vying for the post, my initial reaction was that it was a joke. But, now that he has decided to make a formal declaration, I would say it is a joke taken too far.
“Let me say with all sense of responsibility that Daniel does not have what it takes to lead our great party. He is the least qualified among all those vying for the position.
“All his claims of having managed and won elections are unfounded. He never won any election. The elections he claimed to have won were in the better forgotten days of Prof. Maurice Iwu’s INEC. Since then, he has never won any other elections. In 2011, he defected from the PDP to the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) and then Labour Party where he lost woefully. Even the 2016 local government election in Ogun State which he supervised with one of his stooges and a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, it was failure all the way.
“Towards the end of 2014, he returned to PDP ahead of the 2015 elections. He was made to head the 2015 Presidential Campaign in Ogun State which the party lost abysmally owing to his mismanagement of campaign funds. He was one of the major reasons our party lost in the South West and Ogun State in particular. It is common knowledge in Ogun State that over N300 million of the funds are yet to be accounted for and the case is currently with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. How can we allow our beloved party to be led by an unstable character like Daniel?
“Before he became the governor of Ogun State, he had two houses. But at the end of his eight-year tenure, he cornered several public properties which are now subject of litigation between him and the EFCC. Clearly, this man lacks the right to speak about corruption and how it should be tackled. You cannot give what you don’t have.
“With the benefit of hindsight, several Chairmen of our party were either removed or resigned on their own volition as a result of EFCC cases. So, how can we entrust the leadership of our party – an opposition party – into the hands of man who has a pending EFCC case?”
The statement added: “As at today, it is common knowledge in Ogun State that Daniel has two governorship candidates that he is milking: one in PDP and the other in the All Progressives Congress. He is doing this for money. He is flat broke and looking for money to rehabilitate himself. He is the biggest ticket racketeer I have ever seen.”
Kashamu urged the party leaders and faithful not to make the mistake of making Daniel the party chairman, adding that “it would be the beginning of the end of our great party.”
Regardless, Daniel has got the buy in of some PDP chieftains including former military President Ibrahim Babangida most of who said the party needs the likes of younger ones like the former governor.
Meanwhile, Senator Isiaka Adeleke has declared that the PDP will return to power in 2019.
He said he is convinced that the opposition party will overrun the ruling APC to win the general elections despite its challenges.
Adeleke, who defected to the PDP ahead of the Osun West Senatorial election, said his victory which he described as divine, was enough proof that the party would do well in coming polls.
He spoke on Wednesday at the formal declaration of Daniel.
His words: “PDP will win coming elections and also beat them (APC) in 2019. I am very confident tat this will happen.
“My story is a testimony. When I contested, you all saw what God did. We defeated the incumbent and everyone jubilated”.
On Daniel, Adeleke said he believes the aspirant will perform if elected as PDP chairman.
“OGD is tested and trusted. He is an organizer, a man of the grassroots who will bring everyone together and ensure there are no factions. He is my choice and I urged all to support him.”