Lagos - A Nigerian court Friday nullified the election
of a prominent politician wanted in the United
States on drug trafficking charges.
An election tribunal in the southwestern city of
Abeokuta declared the victory of Senator Buruji
Kashamu void because of apparent irregularities in
more than 100 polling units.
"The election is nullified in line with Section 140 (2)
and 140 (3) (of the electoral act)... We hereby order
fresh elections in the affected polling units,"
tribunal judge Tobi Ebimowei ruled.
Kashamu, elected in March to represent Ogun state
in the upper chamber of parliament, was placed
under house arrest in May before a planned
extradition hearing.
But the Federal High Court in Lagos later ordered
agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency (NDLEA) to leave the property and
suspended extradition hearings.
Also read: Two Nigerians get 55 years jail time
for drug trafficking
Kashamu was indicted in an Illinois court in 1998
over conspiracy to distribute heroin.
He was arrested in Britain that December but
ultimately convinced British authorities that the
drug trafficking evidence in fact related to his
brother and that US investigators had confused the
two men.
A British court approved his release in 2003 and
Kashamu returned to Nigeria, where he became a
major funder of the then-ruling Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP).
The United States has sought Kashamu's extradition
for two decades and it was not clear if Nigeria's
decision to act was linked to political shifts.
The PDP under president Goodluck Jonathan was
defeated nationally by Muhammadu Buhari's All
Progressives Congress (APC). Buhari has since
embarked on a drive against corruption.
Kashamu has repeatedly denied any involvement in
drug smuggling, consistently throwing blame on his
deceased brother, whom he reportedly resembles.
- AFP
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