The Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has officially declared his return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from his former party the Labour Party
Mimiko made the declaration at the Presidential villa in Abuja, and said he was back to the PDP after he had carried out consultation with the people of the state.
The Governor revealed that he was rejoining the ruling PDP alongside federal lawmakers of the Labour Party, members of the House of Assembly and State Executive Members from Ondo state.
?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 National Assembly from the Labour Party in Ondo State, members of the Labour Party 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.
?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?.
?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?, he said.
He noted that he (Mimiko) and his supporters were persuaded in joining hands together to reposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he held sway before abandoning it in 2006 for the Labour Party (LP).
?May I then add, that we take this epochal decision conscious of the fact that no political party in Nigeria today is anywhere near the point of perfection.
?But we are persuaded that joining hands with other Nigerians, committed as they are at repositioning the PDP on a continual basis, is the appropriate thing to do today.
?And considering that it was under this same PDP that I was privileged to serve, first as Secretary to the Government of Ondo State and later as Minister of Housing and Urban Development from July 2005? December 2006, this is for us a homecoming of sort.
?Even so, I am so very well persuaded that if we manage to remain on this democratic governance track, warts and all, Nigeria has a good chance of living above its present challenges?, he said.
The Governor also said his former Labour Party has always supported the presidency and promised to support the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan come February 2015.
?Permit me to state that we have always supported the Jonathan Presidential project. In 2011, even from our Labour Party platform, we endorsed, worked for and voted massively for him.
?Our support for the President will, in the light of the above, not jeopardize the legitimate electoral aspirations of our teeming supporters and associates.
?Our immediate target is to help the process of getting President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan re-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?.
While appreciating the leadership of the Labour Party for giving him the platform to succeed, Mimiko promised to persuade other leaders to join hands in relecting Jonathan for the second term.
?Permit me to thank and salute the entire leadership and members of the Labour Party for providing us with the platform for political engagement when we came calling.
?I thank the leadership of our party, the PDP, for their doggedness. I today make a solemn pledge to join hands with you all our esteemed leaders in persuading other Nigerians to re-elect our President for a second and most deserving term.?
