There are indications that Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (Labour Party); his Anambra counterpart, Mr. Peter Obi (All Progressive Grand Alliance); and a former Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Rashidti Ladoja, may soon dump their parties for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
According to insiders, the party had concluded arrangements to welcome these men with open arms.
Governor Mimiko was a member of the ruling PDP before he joined the Labour Party in 2006 to run for the governorship election in his state.
He had wanted to contest the election on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, but then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo insisted that Dr. Olusegun Agagu would run for a second term.
Though the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Agagu as the winner of the election, the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin later sacked Agagu and declared Mimiko the authentic winner.
Mimiko, who also defeated other governorship candidates, including that of the PDP, Chief Olusola Oke and that of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, in the 2012 governorship election, will be sworn in on Sunday to begin his second term in office.
According to an insider, Mimiko was ready to return to the PDP.
He disclosed that Mimiko would be made the leader of the ruling party in the South-West, with the mandate to end the protracted political tussle in the region.
He added that after the defection, he would be the only governor of the PDP in the entire six states of the zone, and will also be saddled with the responsibility of mobilising for the party in the zone.
The source said, “Mimiko is coming to the PDP. That is certain. Though we have not agreed on any date for his official defection, I can tell you authoritatively that we have concluded agreements on this.
“His coming would also help us in the South-West because of the coming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states. We need to win at least one of the two states.
“Mimiko is going to be the leader of the party in the zone, because right now, the party is in disarray due to a lot of factions and court cases arising from its zonal congresses, which was nullified by the court.”
The plan to have Mimiko back in the PDP was said to have been hatched by Chief Ebenezer Babatope and Senator Bode Olajumoke.
If he returns, he may do so with members of the LP in both the National Assembly and the Ondo State House of Assembly.
However, Mimiko and Obi said they had no plans to dump their respective platforms for the PDP.
Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, said, “There is no iota of truth in the story. It was planted by the opposition to discredit our inauguration.
“We are focused on our inauguration and we will not give in to any form of distraction from anybody or group seeking cheap political relevance.” Chief Press Secretary to the Anambra governor, Mr. Mike Udah, said, “Governor Obi is sitting pretty in APGA. He is comfortable in the party.
“If he was moving out of APGA, he would not have taken steps to defend APGA, as he has been doing since he returned from his foreign trip, and ensuring that the party’s National Working Committee is reconstituted.”
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