National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
There are strong indications that Ogun East Senator, Buruji Kashamu has dropped support for Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, the 2015 gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party and opted for another Yewa candidate, Lagos based Senator Olamilekan Yayi.
Indications to this emerged recently as many politicians believed to be so close to the Ijebu Igbo politicians have taken prominent position in the Yayi campaign machine.
For instance, former commissioner for Agriculture under the Gbenga Daniel administration, and one of the second generation of the Omo Ilu recruits, Tunji Akinosi, is believed to be Kashamu agent in the Yayi team.
Recently also a former commissioner for youths and Sports, Bukola Olopade who had a brief romance with the Ogun East senator has been seen in the front line of the Yayi campaign in Ogun State, a deal supposedly brokered by Segun Seriki, another Kashamu hatchet man.
Also, in the lineup of the Yayi campaign is a former Secretary to the Abeokuta South Local Government, and a Coordinator of the Omo Ilu Foundation founded by Senator Kashamu in the local government Nurudeen Olaleye.
Informed sources close to the Ogun State politics revealed that it was part of Buruji Kashamu’s strategy to infiltrate all potential candidates and have strong footings in their structures before the final race to the Oke Igbein Government’s House begins.
The strategy was reportedly designed by Segun Seriki, the Ogun state coordinator of the Jonathan’s 2015 presidential campaign, who was recently appointed by Buruji Kashamu as Director of Mobilization within the Kashamu political structure.
For instance, Seriki who is said to be close to Olopade directed the infiltration into Yayi’s camp “to have solid and firm control of the structure, and if need be, to use that as a bargaining chip with Tinubu when the needs come to that”
Unconfirmed sources further disclosed that Buruji had earlier directed the quiet entry of Tunji Akinosi and Nurudeen Olaleye to “take over key strategic departments of the Yayi political structure and provide the needed soft landing for Kashamu in the event where he is expelled from PDP and he needs to throw his weight behind a candidate acceptable to Tinubu”.
Not quite long ago, Kashamu issued a statement suggesting that the issue of Yewa candidature is not about an ‘individual’s’ ambition, in what many political watchers interpret to be a direct reference to GNI’s ambition.
According to Kashamu “I have supported them (Yewa) in this regard twice… However, achieving that dream should not be seen as the exclusive preserve of one person” (apparently referring to GNI).
Meanwhile, Senator Kashamu’s thought was better captured by one of his aides, when he said “No one can overrule the much efforts of Senator Prince Buruji Kashamu in making YEWA-born rule the Ogun people of Ogun State (sic) in 2015. All machinery, mechanism and efforts put in place were jettison from the home of the contestant. Ahead of 2019, if we all say our stand from Ogun East is to go with that of Ogun West, and we rally towards and support the only Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, what are the evidences that it will not be efforts in vain…
Kashamu’s aide said further, “what will be the essence of Prince Buruji Kashamu’s efforts and spending his hard earned resources on Prince Gboyega Isiaka to become governor of Ogun State … This will amount to a slap on the face of all SPBK’s camp”
