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Tag: PDP

  • PDP threatens Tambuwal over defection

    PDP threatens Tambuwal over defection

    The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has threatened the House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, for defecting from the ruling PDP to the opposition All Progressives Congress.

    In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, the party reminded Tambuwal of the minority status of the APC in the lower house, in what analysts described as a thinly veiled threat of impeachment.

    The statement added that the party’s leadership had met over the matter and might have reached a common decision on what step to take.

    Metuh stated further that the leadership had also met with party leaders in the House of Representatives concerning the defection.

    The party said: “After a thorough consideration of the matter, the National Working Committee came to a conclusion that the Hon. Speaker, as a responsible elected officer, knows full well what is needful and honourable of him since his new party is in the minority.

    “We are not unmindful of the fact that Hon. Tambuwal became Speaker on the platform of the PDP as the political party with the majority of seats in the House of Representatives and that this incontrovertible fact has not changed.”

  • PDP assures aspirants of internal democracy

    PDP assures aspirants of internal democracy

    A head of the primaries, the chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nsukka and

    Igbo-Eze North local government areas of Enugu State have assured aspirants of their commitment to provide a level-playing field.

    The chairmen, Alphonsus Nweze and

    Cyprian Omeye spoke when an aspirant, Ikechukwu

    Ugwuegede, an engineer, visited PDP secretariats in the two councils to declare his interest to vie for the Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency.

    Nweze said such action would help in strengthening the party’s internal democracy.

    Omeye urged aspirants to accept the outcome of the primaries in good faith, “since it is God who selects leaders.”

    Ugwuegede, a former commissioner

    for Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, who resigned last Monday to join the race for the House of Representatives seat, said his decision to quit was borne out of

    his desire “to render effective representation, which has been lacking in my constituency.”

    The aspirant, who was accompanied by supporters, stressed that there was a need for leaders, who had the interest of the people at heart.

    On his plan for the constituency if elected, he said: “I will attract federal projects to my constituency. I believe there is so much we can get from the

    National Assembly, which we have not got. We have to start sponsoring bills that will be beneficial to our people.

    “I believe I can offer a lot more in the National Assembly. I will put in place a mechanism for effective communication between me and my constituency. Whatever decision I will take in the House of Representatives will be preceded by consultations with my people.”

    Ugwuegede, a one-time special adviser

    to the governor on Projects Development and Implementation, said his

    background and pedigree were anchored on service delivery.

    His words: “My experience in the executive arm of

    the government and my background as an engineer, coupled with my passion for service to the people will give me an impetus to succeed in the legislature.”

     

     

  • My plan for Akwa Ibom, by Ekere

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom State Mr. Nsima Ekere has advised the people  to see poll as a referendum on the future of the state. Ekere, who hails from Ikot Abasi, spoke against the background of the unfolding political drama in the state, as it approaches the November 29 primaries. A legion of aspirants has thrown their hats into the ring, itching to succeed Governor Godswill Akpabio. Stakeholders have conflicting interests. For instance, the governor is believed to have anointed a successor; a development that has pitched him against other stakeholders. As a result, the choice of the next governor  has generated a lot of interest among the populace.

    Ekere, is from  Eket Senatorial District where the next governor is expected to emerge from. He said as long as the nomination process in free and transparent, stakeholders will accept the results. His words: “If it is a free and transparent process, every person will file behind that candidate and the PDP will win the election. But, there could be a problem, if the process leading to the nomination of the governorship candidate is manipulated or flawed.

    “As we approach the forthcoming election, my advice for Akwa Ibom people and indeed, to all Nigerians is that we should see the election  as an opportunity to enthrone the kind of leadership and  government that we want for our society. They should look at all the aspirants carefully, to see why they are running, to see what value they can add to the system and the programmes they have drawn up. They should ensure that they are objective in their choice, so that they can elect people that can add value to the system.”

    The former deputy governor has been in the forefront of the campaign to make the election issue-based. He believes  Akpabio has done very well in the area of building the infrastructure upon which his successor can create jobs and economic prosperity for the people. Nevertheless, he said one thing that is missing, which the next government must latch into, is to build the people and equip them to take their destiny into their own hands.

    He said what motivated him to enter politics is the yearning gap for development in the rural communities. As a result, the aspirant intends to embark on rural development, to improve the lives of majority of the people, who live in the rural areas. His words: “Incidentally, that was in 2007. I’ll tell you a story. I’ve always tried to impact on my immediate community. I come from a small village where the access road is bad. It was not until I built my house in the village and sank a borehole that my immediate community had access to potable drinking water. In the night when I put on my generator, it supplies light to the community.

    “But, there is a limit to what you can do as an individual. Government is in a position to accelerate development in the rural areas. So, it is only when you have the opportunity of being in government that you can drive development. That is what brought me to politics; to be able to add value; to be able to develop our rural communities.”

    Ekere’s blueprint to take the state from where it is to where it should be contains a four-point agenda. Aside from rural development, they include education economic prosperity,  health and social wellbeing. He noted that one of the ways to equip the people to compete in today’s world is to give them the kind of education that would make them competitive in the labour market. “This would involve a lot of training and re-training of even the staff. Apart from the provision of infrastructure, it would involve changing the curriculum; enriching it,” he added. This, he said, means providing children of Akwa State with a 21st Century education and mentality that would enable them to compete and excel in the global. “It also means developing the innate abilities, talents and endowments of Akwa Ibom people in diverse areas like sports, music, arts, craft, engineering and the sorts. It means financial literacy, entrepreneurship, capacity building, creative thinking and innovation,” he said.

    He promised to foster economic prosperity in Akwa Ibom State, if given the chance to govern the state. He said the state is endowed with enough resources and with the right imagination and resourcefulness, government can tackle poverty, fight hunger and help Akwa Ibom people find productive roles within the local and national economy. “I will maximize these resources. Our priority will be to create an environment rich in opportunities and an economic structure that gives every Akwa Ibom citizen the chance to succeed,” he said, adding: “Creating economic prosperity means a return to agriculture, building industries and stimulating the local environment with the right incentives.”

    Reacting to a National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report, which placed unemployment and poverty in the state at 34 and 37 per cent respectively, Ekere  said he would address the problems by stimulating the local economy to create well-paying jobs and improve overall living standards of the people. He said: “I will aggressively introduce policies and programmes that aid the emergence of a vibrant private sector. Our Entrepreneurship Incubation Centre would provide the framework, mentorship and support to enable our people transit to employers and business owners.”

    He added that Information Technology (IT) outsourcing is one of the new economic frontiers that can help the state to earn up to $1 billion in revenue over four years and create more than 5,000 jobs. In this regard, he believes the completion of the state’s IT park would make it an active player in the global IT industry, which is worth $120 billion a year.

    Ekere said he would aggressively pursue improvements in the health sector, if given a chance to govern the state. He intends to turn Akwa Ibom into the medical tourism destination in Nigeria, by developing a medical park in the state. “It is just like you have an industrial park or a technological park. The medical park is going to be a conglomerate of hospitals with different specialists. It has to be a self-sufficient facility, fully-developed, fully-equipped and fully-staffed, to deliver hi-tech medical services,” he said. This is aimed at mopping up all the money that Nigerians spend in Dubai and India to help boost the local economy.

  • Members kick as PDP dissolves Ondo exco

    Members kick as PDP dissolves Ondo exco

    •Caretaker committee set up

    The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced the dissolution of the Ondo State Executive Committee.

    By this announcement, all party structures at the ward, local government and state levels stand dissolved, according to a statement yesterday by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh.

    A caretaker committee has been constituted to pilot the affairs of the state chapter, with Dare Adeleke as chairman and Dare Solomon Osawu as secretary.

    “We enjoin all members of our great party in Ondo State to continue to work together in harmony even as we are confident now, more than ever before, of our total domination of Ondo politics, especially with the rejoining of our political family by Governor Olusegun Mimiko,” the statement said.

    But the state chapter has kicked against the directive. In a statement in Akure, the state capital yesterday,  its Publicity Director, Ayo Fadaka, said: “We received with shock the news of the dissolution of the party executives.

    “To say the least this action is a clear intention by those we expect to safeguard the interest of the party to behead it.

    “We also consider this action a disappointment, particularly in view of the fact that there is a subsisting court order barring the NWC from taking this action.

    “We, therefore, reject it and affirm our absolute confidence and support for the executives from the ward to the state level.

    “We want to remind Abuja that it is by choice that we are party members and that the party is not a prison yard where we are inmates who are bereft of liberties and rights.

    “We also declare our defiance of this action and as such will continue to recognise and relate only with our executives at every level.”

    The state chapter said prosecution of this action clearly demonstrates that those who have elected on their own to serve Mimiko’s interest as he joined the PDP have sown a seed of discord.

    It called on members to be firm and resolute in this period, saying” we will jointly and collectively determine, shape and reorder our political destiny”.

  • PDP desperate to win Rivers, Edo, says Odigie-Oyegun

    PDP desperate to win Rivers, Edo, says Odigie-Oyegun

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is desperate to win the governorship elections in Rivers and Edo states, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said.

    He also said the Southsouth and Southeast zones are notorious for massive rigging of elections in Nigeria.

    Odigie-Oyegun spoke yesterday at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Port Harcourt during the maiden meeting of the APC in the Southsouth zone, which had in attendance, Amaechi and his Edo State counterpart Adams Oshiomhole.

    He added that the mammoth crowd at Saturday’s mega rally, marking the 7th anniversary of the Supreme Court victory of Governor Rotimi Amaechi at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt confirmed that the Rivers governor controls the grassroots.

    The zonal meeting was also attended by the Deputy National Chairman (South), Segun Oni; the National Vice-Chairman, (Southsouth) Prince Hilliard Eta; a member of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja; a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva; members of the National Assembly and party officials from the zone.

    The national chairman of the APC condemned the mayhem in Delta State over Saturday’s local government elections.

    The Rivers governor called for unity among APC members. Oshiomhole lauded Amaechi for the success of his 7th anniversary and the massive crowd at the stadium.

    After the opening ceremonies, reporters were excused.

    The national chairman of APC, in his address, said: “For the Southsouth, this is perhaps even more crucial and more important than a lot of the other zones. In the Southsouth, we have the President of the nation (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan) and the National Chairman of the APC. So, there is already, from the very beginning, the challenge that we have before us, that we must prove something.

    “The challenges are obvious. The Southsouth is absolutely valuable to both the PDP and the APC, because the two states we control are the two states badly wanted by the leaders of the PDP and they will do whatever it takes to get these states (Edo and Rivers), but thank God, the two states are where we have governors that are charismatic and that have been able to very strongly relate with and identify with the people that they govern.

    “Like Governor Amaechi proved yesterday (on Saturday), nothing must be taken for granted. What happened yesterday (on Saturday) was to let everybody see that in case they have any doubt, after President Jonathan’s statement in Benin that the APC in Rivers State only existed on billboards and posters. It was necessary to do what happened yesterday (on Saturday), apart from celebrating the 7th anniversary that brought us this fortunate man, Governor Amaechi. The first challenge is that we (APC) must retain Edo and Rivers states.

    “Since the Southsouth and Southeast zones are the home of massive rigging, if the best cannot happen that we can get a few more states in the Southsouth zone, we must at the same time not allow the worst to happen. The worst being that we will become a kind of canon folder that the PDP leaders will use. We have clearly these challenges before us.

    “I wish to congratulate the Governor of Rivers State for proving the point yesterday (on Saturday) and making it clear to all concerned, about who controls the grassroots in Rivers state, with the large crowd at the stadium.”

    The APC’s national chairman said the burning of houses and confusion in Delta State over local government election was very unfortunate.

    He said: “We must praise the APC members in Delta State. The PDP leaders in Delta State are taking the APC leaders more seriously. It is really sad that the PDP members in Delta State yesterday (on Saturday) lost their sense of balance and started burning houses and destroying valuable property. The mayhem is condemnable.

    “Whatever the results that are finally written and announced, I want to say that we are quite pleased with the conduct of the APC members, who have shown that APC is fully on the ground in Delta State.”

    Odigie-Oyegun also admitted the lack of unity among the APC members in Delta and Akwa Ibom states, while urging the governors of Edo and Rivers to intervene.

    He said: “When we finally kill the elephant, there will be enough for everybody. No political party can be a one man party, no matter how strong that one man is.

    “There is need for compromise. The problem in these areas is that there has not been any genuine attempt at compromise. We need healthy and virile party. We should now take very seriously the issue of unity in the party, which will turn the elections in our favour.”

    The APC’s national chairman also urged members of the party in Rivers and Edo states to obtain their voter cards in order to vote out PDP and its candidates during the 2015 elections.

    He said: “A lot of lessons have been learnt. So much has gone wrong in other states and these are mistakes we cannot afford to allow to happen in the two states (Edo and Rivers). We need every vote that we can get. So, there should be massive mobilisation, particularly at the unit level.

    “We need quite a bit of funding too to get people from far distance to where they are supposed to get their permanent voter cards, because the N10 or N20 in the people’s pockets is very important.

    “Unless somebody is a dedicated person, he or she may not bother to spend such money in this hard time, just to go and get a permanent voter card.”

  • Abia primaries: PDP officer sues Muazu

    Abia primaries: PDP officer sues Muazu

    •Asks court to halt congress

    The Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nkporo Eititi Ward in Abia State, Mr. U. O. Okocha, has sued the National Chairman of the party, Adamu Muazu and six others, seeking the stoppage of the state congress and primaries.

    He said the constitution of the congress and primary committee for the 2015 general elections was illegal.

    Other defendants in the matter are the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo; the state Chairman, Sen. Emma Nwaka; the state Secretary, Mr. Charles Esonu, Governor Theodore Orji and the Chairman of Abia PDP state congress and primary committee for the 2015 general elections, Chief Charles Ogbonnaya.

    Seven aspirants, including a former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu and a former Deputy Governor, Eyinnaya Abaribe, are jostling for the party’s governorship ticket.

    In an ex-parte motion, the aggrieved member said the state congress and primary committee were already in favour of an aspirant.

    The ex-parte application, which is due for hearing today, was filed pursuant to Order Rules 4(1) and (2) of the Abia State High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2014.

    He sought an order to restrain the PDP national leadership from recognising, parading as members and or carrying out the functions of a state congress of the PDP, Abia State, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

    Okocha asked the court to stop the Ogbonnaya-led congress and primary committee from conducting any congress primaries pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice.

    His affidavit in support of the application reads: “Since October 10, 2014, some members of our party have embarked on a course of breaching our party’s constitution by appointing an unconstitutional body to perform the function of a state congress in the primaries for the 2015 general elections in Abia State and Nigeria.

    “That under the combined effects of Section 25(1) (a), (31) (2) (e), 31(2) (j), 50(1) (2) of the constitution of the PDP as amended up to 2012, it is only the National Executive Committee (NEC) that can perform the function of constituting a state congress where the tenure of the state congress has elapsed and or dissolved.

    “That if the defendants/ respondents are not restrained, the political injury and bickering and instability that will be unleashed on me and our party will be grave and cannot be remedied because there is a real danger that some of the defendants will breach the peace in our party and cost me my political fortunes.”

    In a supporting argument, the applicant said his “right to participate in the state congress primaries of the PDP and to protect the sanctity of the party’s constitution faces a clear and present threat by the respondents, who have failed, neglected and refused to abide by the terms of the PDP constitution as amended.”

    “It is our submission that due to the respondents’ refusal to conform to the provision of the PDP constitution as amended up to 2012 and with respect to the state congress primaries of the party, which may be conducted in 14 days time, there is a case of extreme urgency, which merits the discretion of the court in granting the relief sought,” he added.

  • PDP records landslide win

    PDP records landslide win

    Delta State Independent Elections Commission (DSIEC) Chairman Mr. Moses Ogbe has announced the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of last Saturday’s council elections.

    The party won in 23 local government areas of the state’s 25 councils.

    The local government areas are Okpe, Udu, Ndokwa West, Aniocha South, Oshimili North, Warri South West, Ukwuani, Ughelli North and Oshimili South.

    Others are Warri South, Ika South, Bomadi, Warri North, Uvwie, Burutu, Ika North-East, Ughelli South, Ika South, Sapele, Aniocha North, Isoko North, Patani and Ethiope West local government areas.

    Elections for chairmanship position in Patani and Ethiope West were returned unopposed.

    About 96 councillorship positions on the platform of the ruling PDP across the 15 local government areas were returned unopposed.

    The commission, however, annulled election results for Ndokwa East Local Government Area, following large-scale irregularities.

    Polls were also inconclusive in Ethiope East as elections took place in 12 out of 20 wards in the area.

    Results for Isoko South local elections were still being awaited as at the time of filing this report.

     

  • Makarfi denies ‘plan’ to dump PDP

    Makarfi denies ‘plan’ to dump PDP

    Senator Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna North) yesterday denied rumours that he was planning to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Makarfi spoke at the PDP secretariat in Kaduna while submitting his nomination form to seek another term in the Senate.

    He said: “I am among the founding fathers of the PDP and I have no intention to dump the party for any emerging political party. I am here to submit my form, and I don’t believe in making noise. It is not in the party office that one should show his or her strength; it is in the ballot box that we should show that we have people.

    “We will do our best to ensure victory for our party; I will run again in our party for the Kaduna North Senatorial District seat. We should work together; I am a founding member of PDP and will remain here. I have no intention to dump the party.”

    Answering a question on whether the All Progressives Congress (APC) was a threat to the PDP, Makarfi said: “It depends on what you mean by threat; it is not a one man party and I consider all parties contesting against PDP as threats. It is a threat that we should do more to win and ensure victory.”

    The former governor is the first PDP senatorial aspirant in the state to submit his nomination form.

  • ‘Mimiko ‘ll betray PDP again’

    ‘Mimiko ‘ll betray PDP again’

    The Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Abayomi Adesanya, in this interview with DAMISI OJO, says the  defection of Governor Olusegun Mimiko from the Labour Party (LP) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)is not in the interest of the state.

    What’s your party’s reaction to the defection of Governor Olusegun Mimiko from the LP to the PDP?

    We are not surprised because it is no news to us that Governor Olusegun Mimiko is joining the PDP. Of course, he has always been a member of the party. He has been PDP in Abuja and LP in Ondo State for quite some time. So,his defection is not a big deal, since it was long expected. That’s his attitude. He had wanted to betray them, but they were able to pin him down, that “oh boy, you are not going anywhere, you must honour your own part of the agreement”. As far as we are concerned, Mimiko’s defection is a survival strategy. He is looking for soft landing because he has committed so many atrocities in the state. The governor’s defection to the PDP is not to add any value; he is  there because of his own selfish interest. I only pity the people in the PDP because Mimiko has come to “ebolarise” them. The Ondo state chapter of the party has been criticising the Mimiko-led government, but what are they going to do now, since the governor has joined them? If former Governor Olusegun Agagu were to be alive, I am sure he would not be comfortable having Mimiko in PDP.

    Is your party not worried that Mimiko has joined forces with the PDP in the state?

    We are not worried at all. We even like it because it will make our job easier. We have only two parties in Ondo State now, no more LP. That’s the way we look at it. As he has moved to the PDP, more than half of the LP members are moving to the APC and half of the PDP members are saying they cannot work with him. I learnt he has been given 60 percent of the party structure because he is a sitting governor. Automatically, the state chairman and other members of the state executive committee of the PDP must go. All the positions from the state level to the ward level will have to be shared according to the 60/40 formula agreed upon. How do you think they will be happy with the arrangement? Chief Olusola Oke was given an appointment, but he has not been sworn in since then. What’s he waiting for in the PDP? I see him as a progressive-minded person. He should now come to the APC where he can realise his ambition. We still have a number of them in the PDP who have a lot of credibility. They should come and join the progressive people. There is no way President Jonathan will not lose the 2015 presidential election. Therefore,  the APC is forming the next government. We have six geo-political zones in this country. Jonathan is popular in only two of them, which are Southsouth and Southeast. And in the history of the whole world, there has never been a place where the alliance of the minority defeated the alliance of the majority. There is the alliance of the majority in the APC. I still want to implore PDP members in Ondo State to come and join the APC so that we can work together and move the state forward. The rule of Mimiko has taken the state 20 years backward.

    Why do you think Mimiko will not add value to the PDP in the state?

    The truth of the matter is that Mimiko has become a political leper. He has spent his relevance, and his popularity has drastically waned. The governor is our own Maradona. He dribbled the defunct Action Congress (AC). We supported him to get to government. I contested for the House of Assembly in 2007 on the platform of the AC. My petition at the Appeal Court, Benin, was withdrawn in solidarity with the LP. Dr. Tunji Abayomi was our lawyer. We received an instruction that we should withdraw all our petitions so that they would not affect the chances of the LP. We helped him there. He betrayed us.

    He used President Jonathan to get a second term. He deceived the whole state. Mimiko betrayed former Governor Adebayo Adefarati. It was Adefarati who gave that name, Iroko, to him because he was the commissioner of commissioners. His colleagues in the cabinet then would have to liaise with Mimiko before they could get anything from Baba Adefarati because he was very close to the old man. But, what did he do to him? He betrayed Agagu too. He betrayed the  PDP. The political Maradona would have wanted to betray Jonathan, but he has exhausted his cards. Mimiko is playing his last card which is this defection to the PDP.  Our people are now aware of his antics. Don’t you see what is happening to the PDP since his plan to join the party in Ondo state? Mimiko has even infected the party with a virus deadlier than ebola. So, it is a good omen for us.

    How are you preparing for the people, who may join your party as a result of Mimiko’s defection to the PDP?

    We are preparing. Many of them have been discussing with the APC leadership, including commissioners and members of the House of Assembly. I don’t need to mention names. We have set up committees to handle the influx of people into our party. Our leaders have been making efforts to reposition the party in the state because we knew that this would happen, that there was going to be a political tsunami in the Ondo PDP because of Mimiko. I would like to say that our tickets are open to anybody who wants to contest the 2015 elections. If they come on time, they can realise their dream in our party. Gone are the days when we used to have anointed candidates. Now, every aspirant will have to emerge through primary elections because we want to win elections and have government. The only person we will not accept in our party is Mimiko because of the deadly political virus he is carrying.

  • ‘Governor ‘ll add value to PDP’

    ‘Governor ‘ll add value to PDP’

    Sunday Menukuro was a Labour Party (LP) stalwart in Ondo State before it dissolved into the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP). He spoke with LEKE AKEREDOLU on how Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s defection will add value to the party.

    What may likely be the future of the LP in Ondo State?

    Well, the future of the LP in Ondo State, I may not know because I am no more in the party. As such, I am not in the position to know. His Excellency, Governor Olusegun Mimiko was the one who brought the party to the state after wide consultations and he has seen better reasons to leave the party. He also had wide consultations with the majority of the party members and important Nigerians before he left. And we are happy to leave with him.

    Don’t you think Mimiko dumped the LP because the party is losing its popularity in the state?

    It is not true that Mimiko dumped the party because it is no more popular in the state. The party was not in existence in the state, until governor Mimiko and some of his friends brought it to the state. The party was just a platform that we used to win all the elections we won in the state. We could have used another party as a platform to win the elections as well. Therefore, the party did not make itself; it is the people that made the party. However, I must say that I am happy for the party, even though it is Mimiko’s fortune that he brought to bear on the party that made the party to be known all over the nation. I am happy for the party because it is the lucky one among all other parties that we pinched our tent with.

    There was nothing negative that happened to the party that made us to leave party other than our interest to aid the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to win the 2015 presidential election.

    Of what benefit is Mimiko to the PDP?

    The benefits are enormous. It is unquantifiable. If you ask the PDP members, they would tell you that they did not have problems with other parties  apart from the LP. It was like no other party was existing in the state apart from the  LP and the PDP. Except, may be the APC which has a semblance of presence in the state.

    You can recall that between 2009 and 2010 three elections took place in the state; the LP won all the three. In 2011 general election, apart from the fact that the governor delivered the state to President Jonathan, he won 25 out of the 26 House of Assembly members in the state, eight out of nine House of Representatives members and all the three Senatorial positions. Even in the last rerun election that took place in Ilaje and Ese Odo Local Govts few months ago, the LP won but for INEC’S unexplainable wisdom, it declared it non conclusive.

    What I am saying is that, no party has won against us since 2007 and it is going to amount to unmitigated hypocrisy and heresy for anyone to say that we joined the PDP because we are no more popular. When have they won us in any election? Before anyone can beat his chest that he would beat us, the person must have beaten us or must not have been beaten severally by us before, not the ones we have beaten severally. As I talk to you, we have never had any history of defeat of any kind since 2007 that we have been using lp’s platform to go into elections.

    All these are great blessings and successes that no one can wish away. If any group that has all these fortunes decided to join any party it is a great plus to such party. And I am sure that it is going to be a great relief to the party and any candidate picked in this new union is as good as having won the final election.

    Does Mimiko still enjoy the support of Ondo State?

    Mimiko is still enjoying the support of the people of the state, it is evident in the last governorship election when they reelected him and ever since he has not disappointed them. My brother, forget about what political desperados and rabble rousers are saying all over the place. The election they could not win at the poll is what they intend to win on the street by inciting the people against government.  Thank God such orchestration does not work in Ondo State, the people of the state are too knowledgeable and wise to be so hoodwinked. So, these people failed as usual at the poll, they also failed and are still failing on the street.

    ”Will Mimiko’s defection not cause mass defection of PDP and LP members to opposition parties?

    How can Mimiko’s defection cause mass defection of any kind from PDP?  Well, there is free entry and free exit as enshrined in the federal constitution of Nigeria. Nobody will prevent anyone not to join any party of his or her choice but I doubt if there is any reasonable one who will see somebody who carries victories all about and would run from such person. It is suicidal and practically unreasonable.

    If I may ask, are they going to form a new party? When they were in a major party they could not win him is it when they go to the relatively lowly rated party that they would win him? Like I said earlier, anyone who does that embarks on a suicide mission.

    What is your solution to the issue of sharing formula between old and new PDP members?

    I don’t have any solution for the sharing formula than to advise all the stakeholders that everything must be done with the fear of God, we should look for the round pegs in the round holes in those positions to be contested for. We must have it in our minds that we want to win the elections to better the lots of our people. Meanwhile, the governor is the automatic leader of the party; the party members should join hands with him to do the right thing. They must not forget as well that Mimiko has the bigger stake in this union or call it a reunion of like minds. I pray that God will give us the wisdom to do it well.