Stakeholders under the platform of Labour Party (LP) in Ondo State at the weekend met and raised the alarm over an alleged plan by the State, Governor, Olusegun Mimiko to hijack the party ahead of the November 26, gubernatorial poll.
At the meeting, which was attended by executives members and leaders of the party from the 18 local government areas, it was also alleged that the state governor had concluded plan to field one of his aides, who will soon resign from his cabinet as the candidate of LP.
Mimiko, who contested under the LP’s platform in 2007, left the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2014.
They raised the fear that such development may cause a ripple in the party in the state.
One of the stakeholders, who does not wants his name mentioned, said the meeting was deadlocked.
He lamented that the absence of its State Chairman, Mr. Johnson Kolawole created the fear that the governor may have the grip of the party.
He said: “We have been hearing the rumour for the past four weeks that the Governor wants one of his stooges to contest under our party, but we don’t want it.
“Afterall, he abandoned and destroyed the party that made him; he left nothing for us. If we did not bring the party from the dustbin where he dumped it, what will he be coming back to now? The man is a bad market, we don’t want him.
“Though some people are saying that they heard that our National Chairman held a meeting with him after serious pressure, but I don’t want to believe it.
“We have been together in this struggle and I don’t think he will do that after all the man has done against him. It will pain many of us who have vowed to follow him anywhere he chose because he is very passionate about the state.
“Only God knows what has happened, but nothing remains a secret forever in politics”.
But, one of the aides of the governor, who preferred anonymity asked: “what political gain will fielding of candidate on LP’s platform be for Mimiko?”
He urged the people to ignore the LP, saying they were just ranting to prove to the people that they were still politically strong in the state.
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