Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has explained why he decided to dump Labour Party, which brought him to office, for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was speaking yesterday when he and 25 members of the state House of Assembly officially defected to PDP, ending several weeks of speculation over his political future.

Mimiko, whose departure has robbed Labour Party of its only state governor, thus putting the party’s future in jeopardy, announced formalised his defection at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after a reconciliation meeting of the South-West PDP chaired by of the Senate President David Mark.

He said: “I must confess that it surely was tempting and perhaps more fulfilling to continue as a national leader in our smaller, calmer and quite promising ocean represented by the Labour Party (LP). But this decision to return to the PDP, we have taken in the overall interest of our people and our nation, and its democracy which for those who are perceptive enough to notice, is now mortally endangered by a constellation of forces which must be confronted.

“Today, just barely one year into our second term in office, it is obvious that we do not have any office to run for either now or in 2015. Yet, we feel compelled to join hands with the tendency that is aboard today in the PDP, led by a president that is as focused as he is patriotic, a team that has demonstrated so much promise in its commitment to democracy without which the challenges facing our nation cannot be overcome. And as someone who is positioned today by providence to speak for the people of Ondo State and our collaborators and admirers across the nation, I do not have any doubt whatsoever in my mind that the interest of our people in Ondo State, the South-West zone and that of Nigeria too, will be better served in the PDP in the evolving political configuration in our nation.

“Our immediate target is to help the process of getting President Goodluck Jonathan elected. We hope to be part of a process of creating, especially in the South-West, a solid and robust platform of involvement in the election of the president, governors and legislators and post-election governance structure, which will help to engender rapid socio-economic development.

“It is in the light of the foregoing that I, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, following extensive consultations across the land, today formally announce the decision of members of the National Assembly from the LP in Ondo State, members of the LP in the Ondo State House of Assembly, members of the State Executive Council and indeed all those who share our aspirations, to join the PDP.

“This decision arose after a period of consultation with major stakeholders in Ondo State, which include the aforementioned as well as traditional and religious leaders, market men and women, artisans, trade unions and community as well as party leaders.”

Mimiko went down memory lane, recalling events that led to his leaving PDP ‎in 2006. He, However, said while PDP made noticeable effort to widen the space for internal democracy, the reverse seemed to be the case in the opposition.

Vice President Namadi Sambo, ‎who represented President Jonathan at the event, directed that a mega rally ‎of the party be organised as soon as possible in Ondo State to enable PDP prove that it was united and would remain so.

‎Mark, in his remarks, said Mimiko had returned from a self-imposed exile. “I urge you to reconcile everybody; we don’t want to see factions. We don’t want to see old PDP and Labour Party PDP. Everyone is your child and you must treat him or her as such with open arms,” the Senate President advised.

•Based on reports in Daily Sun and Vanguard. Photo shows Mimiko receiving the PDP flag from VP Sambo . . . yesterday at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

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