Mimiko
The Senator representing Ondo State Southern Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Boluwaji Kunlere said he decided to dump Labour Party (LP) and return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) owing to the bad actions of some Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s aides against his political career.
According to the Senator, “some of the governors aides, who are from my senatorial district, particularly my local government, Okitipupa, have been blackmailing me and telling lies about me to my people in the name of jealousy due to my unprecedented achievements as a senator”.
It will be recalled that Kunlere, who was a former State Secretary of the PDP during late Governor Olusegun Agagu’s administration, dumped PDP with the Party State Chairman then, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, who is now the current Deputy Governor of the State to form the LP.
Kunlere secured the senatorial seat after defeating late Agagu with over 88,000 votes, while the former Governor polled 80,000 during the 2011 general elections.
He is now the second senator to dump the LP platform after the Senator representing Ondo North, Ajayi Boroffice has earlier left the party for the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2012, before ACN merged with CPC and ANPP to form APC.
Speaking with reporters at his residence in Akure, the State Capital, Kunlere said he decided to path way with LP on matter of principle, adding that he had been sacked before he left the party for PDP.
He described his decision as personal, saying that anybody still displaying LP flag in the state is “a dead politician waiting to be buried”.
He said further that those people, who had been blackmailing him, had also been harassing those close to him or who visited his house.
He lamented that they even lied against the Deputy Governor, Ali Olanusi and President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief of Staff to President, Oladehinde Arogbofa.
Kunlere denied using his office as a senator to lure money for his personal pocket, saying he didn’t own any property overseas.
He noted that his decision to return to the PDP had been received as a welcome development by both PDP in the State and at the national level.
His words, “I have received representation of PDP from top to bottom. I went to Igbotako ward two and those in ward one joined in the meeting and I have met with the State Secretary of the Party who is from my local government, I have met with Chief Barrister Olusola Oke, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, and so many of them. Agboola Ajayi was in my house early this year. The leadership of the senate is not left behind my plan to return to PDP.
“I have met with Jimoh Ibrahim. Myself and the leadership of the party were in his house. It is not a matter of today. It is a personal decision. But I will still like to talk on some issues. There is one boy who was appointed as SA, he went on Social media three weeks ago and said that Kunlere left because of lack luster performance and the same guy was in my house for his house rent, which I gave to him, though he was replied by those who know much about my achievements.
“Before I left LP, it has come to a situation that people who are close to you can no longer be ward or local government executives and I said to myself that as a politician, I have already been given a quit notice, properly served and that I have accepted it.
“Even those we brought into the game, are being sponsored to be blackmailing me. I have never being to any department or agency to demand for any money and I have been fair to all manners of people that come my way.
“I have been able to provide classrooms and water in all the southern senatorial district local government areas. My senatorial treasury per annual is N222 Million and they don’t give to you but my people will recommend the locations. I have bought vehicles for not less than over 40 people, over 200 motorcycles, not to talk of paying house rent, school fees, hospital bills, roofing, tickets for American Visa abroad, among others”.
Kunlere assured that he would work with PDP members in the state to ensure President Goodluck Jonathan win the 2015 Presidential election.
However, since early this year, politicians like former representative on the board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Benson Enikuomehin have defected from LP to PDP and some of them based their decisions on the disagreement with Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
Mimiko, on other hands had begun consultations with the remaining members of his party on his plan to return to PDP due to what was called as pressure from PDP leaders in Abuja, according to his Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade.
People of the State are now watching with keen interest on what will be the fate of those who have dumped LP for PDP since Mimiko will soon return to PDP.
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