Ondo state governor, Olusegun Mimiko has formally announced his decamping from the Labour Party (LP) to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The governor formerly served as a minster in the federal cabinet of former president Olusegun Obasanjo before decamping to the LP after he failed to get the PDP ticket to contest the 2007 gubernatorial election, an election he initially lost to Olusegun Agagu, before having the election result overturned by the judiciary, allegedly with the full support of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), now the All Progressives Congress (APC) who expected him to join their ranks.
Governor Mimiko is reported to have remained with the LP after assuming office, and after several months of speculations, and counter-speculations he on Thursday, October 2, 2014 re-joined the PDP, taking two members of the national assembly, all twenty-six members of the state house of assembly and all members of his state executive council along with him.
His official decamping was held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and chaired by vice president, Namadi Sambo, with senate president David Mark, governor of Delta state, Emmanuel Uduaghan and chieftains of the PDP in the south west in attendance
Governor Mimiko declared: “I, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, following extensive consultations across the land, today finally announce the decision of members of the National Assembly from the LP in Ondo State, members of the LP in the Ondo State, members of the LP in the Ondo State House of Assembly, members of the State Executive Council and indeed all those who share our aspirations, to join the PDP,”
He added that he decided on returning to the PDP after extensive deliberation and consultation with Ondo state stakeholders as well as party leaders, declaring that his current ambition was to see the successful return of President Goodluck Jonathan to office come 2015.
On his take, Mark welcomed governor Mimiko back from what he termed “self-exile”, adding that he and other party leaders wish for the governor to mend fences with everybody within the party.
