Denies joining PDP as Nwanyanwu quits as LP chairmanBy Chris Ochayi:
ONDO Sate Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has denied planning to leave the Labour Party (LP) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying he is not in a hurry to leave the party that gave him the platform to emerge as the governor of the state.
Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko
The polity, in recent times, has been awash with reports that Mimiko, who is considered to be very close to the presidency and President Goodluck Jonathan, had perfected plans to joining the PDP and that a sharing arrangement of political offices in Ondo state at the ratio of 60:40 had been sealed between the LP and PDP.
Reacting to the reports, Governor Mimiko urged LP supporters and faithful to discountenance the rumours of his impending defection to the PDP.
Mimiko, who made this known while fielding questions from journalists shortly after the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of LP, in Abuja, said he was still a bonafide member of the party which gave him mandate to govern Ondo state.
He said if at all there is need to leave the LP, he will make it public. “I don’t react to rumours. If I am going to leave the Labour Party I will declare it openly,” he said adding that the report was a mere rumour and he still remained a strong member of the Labour party.
He stressed: “All the reports you hear or read are mere rumours and I cannot react to rumours. As you can see, I am here today to attend the Labour party NEC meeting. I will also be in Akure on October 4 when we will host the third National convention of our party.”
I’ll back Jonathan’s re-election
Mimiko, however, declared that he will support President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid for 2015 presidency if the president declares his intention to run.
He spoke as the outgoing National chairman of the Labour Party, Dan Nwanyanwu revealed that his decision to step down as the party’s chairman after leading the party for a period of 10 years was personal and to allow others to lead the party.
Nwanyanwu said that he would not present himself for re election at the party’s next convention which is slated for Akure on October 4, stressing that having played his part, it would not make any sense for him to remain as the chairman.
Reading the communiqué at the end of the NEC meeting, Nwanyanwu expressed the party’s appreciation for the renewed commitments from trade unions, NLC to work with the leadership of the party to promote and consolidate its ideas.
The party while commencing the efforts of President Good luck Jonathan and the military in tackling the problems of insecurity in the country also called for an improved efforts to ensure that other towns captured by the insurgents are reclaimed without delay to maintain the unity and indivisibility of the country.
It also shared the views of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, that government should add value to the fight against terror by ensuring that Nigerian troops are provided with modern weapons to confront the insurgents.