‘I Was Justified’: Fayose Writes Aisha Buhari, Reaffirms She Was Mentioned In William Jefferson Case

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has replied Aisha Buhari, the wife of Nigeria’s president over the scandal that erupted when he reminded Nigerians that her name was mentioned in the bribery scandal involving disgraced United States’ lawmaker, William Jefferson.

Through his counsel, Mike Ozekhome, a senior advocate of Nigeria, Governor Fayose said that he was right to mention that Aisha Buhari in the Williams Jefferson bribery case because he based his statement on the information available in court documents in the United States concerning the came.

Mary Ekpere & Co, lawyers to Mrs. Aisha Buhari has written to Fayose demanding a retraction of his press statement in which he said that she was mentioned in a 2015 Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, involving a bribery syndicate in which Nigeria’s former vice president, Atiku Abubakar was also named.

The first lady’s letter to Fayose was dated June 22, 2016 and gave the governor five days to comply or further legal would be taken against him.

Mr. Ozekhome’s letter justified the press release by Fayose and affirmed the statement made regarding her involvement in the William Jefferson scandal saying the governor’s statement was “correct and justified in law, having regards to a court judgment convicting one Mr William Jefferson for bribery in the Halliburton case”.

Ozekhome said that the statement of Governor Fayose was correct and justified, having been factually premised on an existing court judgment.

“Our client has referred to us your letter dated 22nd June, 2016, on alleged defamation of the character of your client, Her Excellency, Mrs Aisha Buhari, the wife of Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, with firm instructions to reply to and reject same in its entirety,” the letter read.

“Our client states and reaffirms categorically that the statement he made as regards the involvement of Mrs Aisha Buhari, the wife of President Buhari, in the Halliburton scandal, is correct and justified in law; having regards to a court judgement convicting one Mr William Jefferson for bribery in the Halliburton case.

“Therein, the name of the President’s wife featured conspicuously. At page 22 of the said judgment delivered by the United State District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division, USA, in criminal No 1: 07CR209, the said Mr William Jefferson was sentenced at 9.00 am on November 13, 2009, by Mark D, Lytle. Your client, Mrs Aisha Buhari was specifically mentioned in the judgment. The judge referred to Exhibits 36-87 in the following words, for clarification;

“See also Government Exhibits 36-87 (6/26/02 $170,000 wire transfer from account in Nigeria in the name of Aisha Buhari to an account in the name of The ANJ Group, LLC, identifying “William Jefferson” as Beneficiary)… Given the age of the defendant, the severity of the sentence calculated by the Probation Office, the defendant’s frequent travel overseas and unexplained wire transfers from overseas locations to financial accounts used by the defendant, the defendant cannot rebut the presumption at sentencing that he is a risk of flight.

“The said Williams Jefferson is currently serving a jail term in the USA and to the best of our client’s knowledge; this judgment has not been challenged, or set aside by any Appellate court of law anywhere
in the world.

“The statement of His Excellency, our client, is therefore correct and justified, same having been factually premised on an existing court judgment above referred to.”

On the immunity enjoyed by Governor Fayose against civil and criminal proceedings, Mr. Ozekhome said: “Your attention is also hereby drawn to Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as altered, on the immunity enjoyed by our client from civil or criminal proceedings for the period that he occupies the office of the governor of Ekiti State.

“You may therefore advise your client to wait until after 16th October, 2018, when our client’s tenure expires. When that happens, we shall join issues with your client in a competent court of law, in the event that your client does not have a change of heart.”