Ahead of the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State, 29 political associates of Dr Olusegun Mimiko, a former governor of the State on Wednesday formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defectors were received at the APC state secretariat by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the state Party Chairman, Engr. Ade Adetimehin.
Among the defectors were former House of Representatives members, Commissioners, Special Advisers, and Assistants during Mimiko’s administration.
Thefrontrank reports that the 29 political associates of the former governor had on August 15 announced their defection to the APC after dumping the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in a meeting with Aiyedatiwa.
Thefrontrank reports that Mimiko with his loyalists decamped from the Alliance for Democracy(AD) to PDP in 2003; and in 2007, the “Iroko; Gbasibe” exponent decamped to Labour Party(LP) to contest the governorship election.
Still on political nomadism, Mimiko in 2014, returned to PDP, and in 2018 defected to Zenith Labour Party(ZLP), while in October 2021, the former governor returned to PDP for the third time with his loyalists.
Leading the defectors to the APC were two-term members of the House of Representatives and former Labour leader, Hon Akinlaja Joseph; Hon Lad Alaba Ojomo, Hon Jumoke Akindele, Hon Victor Akinjo, and a former House of Representatives member, Hon Gboluga Ikengboju.
The defectors expressed their commitment to the cause of the APC at all levels.
Akinlaja, while speaking on behalf of the defectors, said they joined the APC to contribute their quota to the victory of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the APC in the November election.
“We are in APC to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and to contribute to the solution of the myriads of challenges facing our dear country rather than remain in an unserious structure that is neither desirous of, nor prepared for, victory.
“We are not stopping; we are also asking our colleagues to immediately move into their wards and units to join the existing APC structure for the seamless victory of the APC and its candidate, His Excellency Hon Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa,” Akinlaja, a former member of Labour Party and Zenith Labour Party said.
Receiving the new members, Adetimehin said the “best materials” have left the PDP, noting that the best among the smaller political parties have also joined the APC.
He noted that the only person that is left in the opposition is Dr Olusegun Mimiko whose grassroots supporters have joined the APC.
“Winning an election is the gladiators who mobilize the voters, not the other way round. If PDP said they are not affected, it is a falsehood. They cannot manage their party. We will not use and dump you.
“We will make sure you are taken care of. No winner, no joiner. We are one family. We have fused. We will not discriminate against you,” Adetimehin stated.
Speaking, Aiyedatiwa said the movement of associates and allies of Mimiko into the APC finally seals the unification of all the credible political tendencies in the state.
The governor said the APC has all the major players of the Adefarati era, Agagu era, and now all the key players of the Mimiko era in one party, “all in the bid to move the state forward.”
