Obasanjo to Jonathan, Tukur: I opt out of PDP until Kashamu is expelled

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has indicated his decision to withdraw from the Peoples Democratic Party until further notice.
Obasanjo, in a letter to the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, published by Saturday Tribune, said he would not return to the party until one of its chieftains in the South West, Buruji Kashamu, is expelled.
Obasanjo, in the letter, which copy was sent to President Goodluck Jonathan, accused the party of promoting Kashamu, whom he said was wanted abroad on criminal charges, at the detriment of the PDP by pronouncing him the zonal leader in the South West.
He said the party was no longer playing  politics of morality, decency and principle with its decision to promote Kashamu in the scheme of things in the PDP, adding that he could not subject himself to the leadership of a criminal.
He said he found this unsavoury.
The three-paragraph letter reads in full: “While I believe that a good and truly national political party must be a microcosm of the nation in its membership, made up of all sorts of characters from near-saints to near-satan, I also believe that on no account should a known habitual criminal that is wanted abroad to face criminal charges levelled against him be extolled as a political leader in a respectable and wholesome nation-building political party.
“Buruji Kashamu has been so extolled in PDP in South-West geo-political zone which I personally find unsavoury. Politics played by any national political party must have morality, decency, discipline, principles and leadership examples as cardinal practices of the party. I have attached here recent documents that clearly indicate that your extolled PDP Zonal Leader in the South-West zone of Nigeria and an indigene of Ogun State is, to say the least, not a credit to the party as a member, let alone being a zonal leader.
“Since I stick in my practice of party politics to the hallowed and cherished principles enunciated above, I take this opportunity to let you know that while I continue to remain a card-carrying member of PDP, I cannot and I will not subscribe to a wanted habitual criminal being installed as my zonal leader in the party; a criminal for whom extradition has been requested by the US government. In the meantime, I will consider withdrawing my activity with PDP at local, state, zonal and national levels until the anomalous and shameful situation is corrected.”