Former Governor of Ondo state, Olusegun Mimiko may dump the Zenith Labour Party(ZLP) and join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) any moment from now.
This comes on the heels of series of meetings the former governor with the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.
Aside Malami, Mimiko had reportedly met with the Chairman of the APC National Caretaker Committee and governor of Yobe state, Mai Mala Buni aside two other governors.
It was unclear as at press time if the ZLP’s governorship candidate in the October 10 2020 election, Agboola Ajayi would also return to the APC. Ajayi had dumped APC to run against his estranged boss and governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN at the poll.
A source close the national headquarters of the APC in Abuja confided in a team of newsmen that the move to draft the former governor to the party was to strengthen it.
“From the look of things, our man(Aketi) appears not to be on same page with the Villa owing to his recent stance on certain national issues.
“So we are working hard to ensure the former governor joins us to take of the party because we cannot afford to toy with any state in the south west”, he said.
But the Ondo State Commissioner for Information and, Orientation, Donald Ojogo has dismissed insinuations that the positions taken by Akeredolu were targeted at the Villa or the Presidency.
Ojogo said “It’s a good thing if those who left the party or even wiling ones are coming to join the party; but the slant that Governor Akeredolu’s stance on some national issues is responsible for the search for fresh frontiers is dismissible.
“Whatever position he has taken in the past or would take on national issues can only be propelled by altruism and patriotism. So if anyone finds opportunity under such cover to blackmail the governor as being at loggerhead with the villa, it will be unfortunate”.
The commissioner said, ”But if it happens, we won’t be surprised because some persons take politics to boundless levels not minding whether the well being of their folks is endangered or not”.
Reacting however to the move, One of the aides to the former governor of Ondo state debunked the defection rumours saying Mimiko remains a stong, loyal and committed cheiftain of the People’s Democratic Party in Ondo state.
According to the Aide, who pleaded anonimity revealed that his boss (Mimiko) truly went to Abuja but the purpose was not political and he never met with the APC party chairman or the Attorney General of the federation, AGF, Mr Abubabar Malami.
(Vanguard)
