By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Burial arrangements for the late federal lawmaker, Senator Buruji Kashamu, has been announced.
The family of the late politician who flew the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 governorship election in Ogun State announced that he will be buried today, Sunday, in his hometown of Ijebu Igbo in Ogun State at 12 noon according to Islamic rites.
The late senator who represented Ogun East Senatorial District in the 8th Senate died of COVID-19 on Saturday in a Lagos private hospital.
Meanwhile, even in death, Kashamu remains controversial with prominent Nigerians expressing divergent views on his person and politics.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo who remained a bitter opponent of the fallen senator said he could not escape death even when he managed to escape justice on earth.
There were allegations of drug trafficking against Kashamu and attempts to extradite him to the U.S. were thwarted in Nigerian courts.
Obasanjo was one of those who strongly supported his extradition.
Kashamu insisted on his innocence till he died.
In a statement by his spokesman, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo said despite using politics to maneuver the law to escape justice, Kashamu could not escape death.
“Senator Buruji Kashamu in his lifetime used the maneuver of law and politics to escape from facing justice on alleged criminal offence in Nigeria and outside Nigeria. But no legal, political, cultural, social, or even medical maneuver could stop the cold hand of death when the Creator of all of us decides that the time is up,” said Obasanjo.
But former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has taken exception to Obasanjo’s statement.
Reacting on Twitter, Fayose, another political foe of Obasanjo, said the ex-president’s statement was regrettable.
“I also condemn the statement made by former President Obasanjo on his (Kashamu) death.
“It is regrettable that Obasanjo could say what he said about Buruji Kashamu after his death and when he can no longer question him. Why didn’t he say that when Kashamu was alive?” Fayose said on Twitter.