Olusegun Mimiko
Tambuwal leads PDP governors to receive Mimiko in Ondo
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state governors led by Chairman of the Forum, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal have stormed Ondo to formally receive the now ex-National Leader of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, to the party.
Tambuwal, the Sokoto State Governor, reportedly led three other state governors to the home of the former Ondo two-term governor, Mimiko, in Ondo, the headquarters of Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
In the entourage of Tambuwal were Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Okezie Ikpeasu of Abia states.
Reports were confirmed by Monday that the PDP had won the lobbying to secure the membership of Mimiko who also wooed by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Details of the meeting with Mimiko are still sketchy as the gathering was closed-door.
Mimiko’s return to the party had caused a lot of political rumples in the state for the past three weeks, mainly a threat by a PDP chieftain, Bode Obanla, who said he would challenge his deflection in court.
Adamawa State Governor and Chairman of the PDP National Convention Planning Committee, Ahmadu Fintiri, disclosed, Tuesday, that Mimiko has already concluded arrangements to rejoin the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Fintiri, while confirming the development, also corroborated an earlier statement made by immediate past President of the Nigerian Senate, Chief Olusola Saraki, on the Mimiko move.
Mimiko is a chieftain of the Zenith Labour Party and founding member of the Labor Party (LP) who collapsed his party’s structure into the PDP during his tenure as Ondo governor.
Fintiri disclosed, Tuesday, that Mimiko will soon defect to the PDP.
Fintiri stated this on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Tuesday, was responding responded to the claim that the PDP has lost some governors to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) by saying that elections are not won by the number of governors a party has.
He boasted that some prominent APC members will defect to the PDP before the next general election.
Governor Fintiri’s statement came hours after former Senate President Bukola Saraki predicted that some APC high-ranking officials and a former governor would defect to the PDP soon.
During an interview with Arise News TV, the former governor of Kwara said: “We’ve got some bigwigs that are coming to the party. This week, there’s a former governor that’ll join the party. We’ve had a couple who have joined.”
PDP, APC allegedly lobbied Mimiko to move from the ZLP.
Mimiko left the PDP in 2018 to form the LP, which ran former deputy governor Agboola Ajayi against incumbent Rotimi Akeredolu in the governorship election in 2020.
