Shock awaits the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, who is also the governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Agboola Ajayi, in the Saturday election, as his main backer, former Governor Olusegun Mimiko, has struck a deal with APC leaders to back out from supporting Ajayi and throw his weight behind the APC candidate, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
Sources close to Mimiko disclosed that the former governor had realised the futility in Ajayi’s plan to be elected as governor after the poor showing in campaigns with little or nothing to show as a serious candidate to be given support in an election he stands no chance to win.
He said that Ajayi appeared not to trust Mimiko in the management of campaign funds and this has created a sort of bad blood between the two ZLP leaders, which Ajayi did not take seriously but which Mimiko detested.
He added that few days ago after Mimiko was convinced that Ajayi lacked the intellectual capacity to face Akeredolu and PDP’s Eyitayo Jegede, after Ajayi displayed poor showing at public debates where he could not communicate properly in English.
Mimiko, in his usual element, did a rethink on his support for the ZLP candidate, but kept his plan to his chest until the last minute to choose between Akeredolu and Jegede for support. He added that Mimiko said Ajayi refused to appear in the Channels’ TV debate because he was afraid to expose himself in English Language deficiency.
The source also explained that Mimiko, in his usual element, finally opted for APC after he did an intelligence on the likely outcome of the election and found out that nothing would stop Akeredolu from winning.
His words: “When Iroko (Mimiko) discovered that Ajayi could not win the election, he started thinking about who to support between Akeredolu and Jegede. He then commissioned an opinion poll group that returned a report indicating that Akeredolu would surely win.
“It was at that point that Iroko started regretting his recent outbursts against his old friend, Akeredolu, but he (Mimiko) thought it was better to mend fences with his old friend (remember that he is Akeredolu’s Best Man when he married) than working against him. Should Akeredolu eventually emerge victorious, Mimiko would not like to be relegated to the back burner for the next four years.
“At last, Mimiko is believed to have sent emissary to Akeredolu’s men instead to the governor himself directly. The reason being that because he was not sure of what Aketi’s response would be after their recent bitter exchanges.
“Mimiko got a positive response from APC and started mobilising and directing his close aides on what to do on election day for APC without Ajayi’s knowledge of the whole plot.”
As it stands, Ajayi will go to the election naked. As his main backer, Mimiko, has decided to sail with APC in a bid to remain relevant in Ondo State power loop.
Mimiko is renowned for changing political colours even faster than a chameleon to suit his immediate need. In the past, driven by his over-consuming ambition to be governor, Mimiko transcended virtually all the major political parties then in search of political relevance and gubernatorial ticket until he got it.
Mimiko in the past had thrown his umbrella and broom away when his desire to emerge as governorship candidate got sticky. He joined Labour Party and won to fulfil his ambition for power and good life. Four years after, he left behind unpaid salaries, huge debt profile, uncompleted projects, unpaid pensions, moribund university, non-functional civil service, distrust and senatorial districts abandonment, etc.
During 2016 governorship poll, THIS DAY Newspaper had reported Mimiko as follows in a story written by Onyebuchi Ezigbo:
“THISDAY gathered that due to the bad blood and acrimony that trailed the emergence of the governorship candidates of the main parties — the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — the contest has become characterised by high level intrigues.
“Aggrieved incumbent governor of the state, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, is reported to be holding talks with the candidate of the APC, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu.
“Mimiko and his preferred choice, Prof. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), have been having a running legal battle with businessman Jimoh Ibrahim over the ticket of the PDP. Mimiko has reportedly told the PDP supporters not to join the Alliance for Democracy (AD) if the legal fireworks did not favour Jegede before the November 26 governorship election.
“It was learnt that in order to firm up the arrangement, Mimiko held a preliminary meeting with the Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha on Tuesday.
“The meeting, which had the APC candidate, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), in attendance, took place at the Akure Airport.
“A source close to the Ondo State governor told THISDAY that although no firm commitment was reached, Mimiko assured the duo of Okorocha and Akeredolu that if after the court processes Jegede did not fly, he would deploy his forces to back the APC candidate.
“Said a Mimiko source: ‘It is true they met but not as people are speculating that Mr. Governor has already committed himself to the Akeredolu project. We are still confident we will win the mandate back. But if at the end of the day because of lack of time it happens that Jegede cannot fly, we have been told what to do.
“The governor and even those of us supporting Jegede believe that it is an insult for Tinubu to come from Lagos and install Iroko’s successor. It is an aberration we will fight, so rather than allow that, Iroko will be the one to swing support for Akeredolu to win because Ondo State belongs to us.'”
Like 2016, like 2020. Mimiko has again sealed a deal with APC to retain him relevance in the Ondo politics.
