Buruji Kashamu

Buruji Kashamu (born 19 May 1958) is a Nigerian politician who served as a Senator representing Ogun East in the 8th National Assembly. Ogun East covers eleven local government areas: Ijebu North East, Ijebu North, Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu East, Ikenne, Ipokia, Odogbolu, Obafemi Owode, Remo North, Sagamu, and Ogun Waterside. Senator Kashamu was the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on States and Local Government.[1]

Buruji Kashamu
Senator Kashamu
Senator for Ogun East
In office
9 June 2015 – April 2019
Serving with Lanre Tejuosho
Joseph Dada
Preceded bySefiu Adegbenga Kaka
Vice-Chairman of the
Senate Committee on State and local Governments
In office
9 June 2015 – April 2019
Succeeded byEzenwa Francis Onyewuchi
Personal details
Born
Buruji Kashamu

(1958-05-19) 19 May 1958
Ogun, Nigeria
Political partyPeople's Democratic Party
ResidenceAbuja (official)
Ogun (private)
Alma mater
Profession
  • Businessman
  • politician
Awards
  • NANS Golden Man of the Year 2015
  • Cambridge Graduate University (Honourary PhD. Philosophy)

He is a chieftain of the People's Democratic Party, PDP in Ogun State. He was appointed as the chairman, Organization and Mobilization Committee of the PDP in the South West zone of Nigeria.[2] In 2018, he was expelled from the People's Democratic Party,[3][4][5] a decision later voided by an Abuja High Court in October 2018. He was the 2019 Ogun State gubernatorial election candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Early life and education

Kashamu was born in Ogun State, Nigeria on 19 May 1958. Kashamu started his education at Ansarudeen Primary School, Ijebu Igbo and left in 1972 to complete his primary school education at St. John Modern School, Lagos. He then attended evening classes at Igbobi College while working as a licensing agent. He later went to London where he took courses in Business Management at Pitman College, London.[6][7] He was awarded a Honourary PhD by the unaccredited, diploma-mill Cambridge Graduate University, located in Massachusetts, at a privately organised ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria.[8]

Cambridge Graduate University claims to be accredited by the International Accreditation Organization (IAO). The IAO itself is listed as part of unrecognized higher education accreditation organizations. Cambridge Graduate University is not a recognised university in the United States due to this lack of accreditation.[8][9]

Politics

He contested for the Ogun east senatorial seat and beat his closest rival with a poll of 99,540 votes against Prince Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressive Congress (APC) who polled 84,001 votes to clinch the senatorial seat.[10][11][12] He is the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 Ogun State gubernatorial election and lost against Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress in distance 4th.[13]

Controversy

In 1998, Kashamu was arrested in the United Kingdom on drugs-related charges after trying to enter the country with $230,000 in cash.[14] He was acquitted and released in 2003. British authorities refused a US extradition request on drugs charges, citing concerns about his identity,[15] however Nigerian authorities announced their intention to deport him to the US on multiple occasions.[16] Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president, warned that his ongoing freedom illustrated that "drug barons ... will buy candidates, parties and eventually buy power or be in power themselves".[15]

It is claimed that Kashamu is the real identity of "Alhaji", the drug kingpin in Piper Kerman's book, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison.[15][17][18]

References
  1. Admin. "Buruju Kashamu". NASS. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  2. Adeyinka, Abimbola. "Abimbola Adeyinka: So I investigated that Buruji Kashamu's honourary PhD and here's what I found out". The Scoop Ng. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  3. "PDP expels Buruji Kashamu, three others". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  4. "BREAKING: PDP expels Buruji Kashamu, three others". Premium Times Nigeria. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  5. "PDP expels Buruji Kashamu, three others – Daily Post Nigeria". Daily Post Nigeria. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  6. Biography, Nigeria. "Nigeria Senate". NASS. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  7. Biography, Nigeria. "Nigerian Biography/Buruji Kashamu". Nigerian Biography. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  8. TheScoop (18 October 2014). "Abimbola Adeyinka: So I investigated that Buruji Kashamu's honourary PhD and here's what I found out". The ScoopNG. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  9. "List of Accreditation Agencies Used By Fake Colleges | GetEducated". www.geteducated.com. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  10. Naij, News. "Buruji Kashamu wins Senatorial seat in ogun State". Starconnect. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  11. Oluwasoga, Bamidele. "Kashamu wins Senatorial seat in Ogun state". Naij.com. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  12. Politics Naij. "Appeal Court Upholds Kashamu's Election as Senator".
  13. Admin. "Dapo Abiodun Wins Ogun Governorship Election". Premium Times. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  14. "Man indicted in US for drug deal is elected senator in Nigeria". New York Post. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  15. "Man who inspired Orange is the New Black elected senator in Nigeria". The Guardian. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  16. "You can be arrested, appeal court tells Kashamu – TheCable". TheCable. 4 May 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  17. Janssen, Kim. "Nigerian who inspired 'Orange Is The New Black': 'I haven't seen' show". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  18. "Meet the Nigerian senator who may have been an inspiration for 'Orange is the New Black'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
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