Kashamu secures court order restraining Obasanjo from publishing autobiography

There seems to be no end in sight for the sour relationship between former President, Olusegun Obasanjo and his estranged political associate, Buruji Kashamu, as he has secured a motion ex-parte from an Abuja High Court, restraining Obasanjo or anybody on his behalf from publishing an autobiography written by the former president.The restraining order was handed by Justice Valentine Ashi last Friday in favour of Kashamu, who heads the PDP mobilisation committee in the south-west.

The PDP chieftain had argued through his lawyer, Dr Alex Iziyon (SAN) in a motion coded: FCT/HC/M/2392/2014 that the autobiography titled: ‘My Watch” has contents from Obasanjo’s December 2, 2013, letter to President Goodluck Jonathan and former PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, where he (Obasanjo) claimed that Kashamu was allegedly a fugitive, wanted in the United States.Iziyon argued that since the content of the letter was the subject of the libel suit his client filed against Obasanjo, which is still pending before the court, it was wrong for the ex-president to be allowed to proceed to comment on, write books about or make publications on the issue that is still pending before the court.

The about-to-be published book recounts Obasanjo’s eight years in power between 1999 and 2007 and is said to contain uncomplimentary remarks about Kashamu, who is accused of drug pushing. He recently lost a case seeking to stop his trial that has been on for close to 16 years in the United States. The PDP stalwart has denied the allegations, saying even Obasanjo at the time he was president allowed state agencies to testify on his behalf in a UK court to clear his name.

Ruling through an order dated December 5, 2014, Justice Ashi held that “the defendant, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, whether by himself, his agents, servants, privies or any other person by whatever name called and howsoever described is hereby restrained from publishing or cause to be published in the yet to be published book “My Watch” or any autobiography or biography and any extracts of same, by whatever name called or howsoever, titled, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice hereof.”