Former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mimiko, who governed Ondo State between 2009 and 2016 and remains the first governor of the state to serve two terms, officially joined the APC on Thursday at the party’s secretariat in Ward 7, Ondo West Local Government Area.
The former governor resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last month before announcing his decision to align with the ruling party.
Speaking during the event, Mimiko said his decision was driven by the need to support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in moving the country forward.
According to him, the Tinubu-led administration had introduced several commendable initiatives capable of advancing national development.
“There are a lot of good things being done by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government, and though much more will still have to be done, I am coming in to lend my support to ongoing efforts to keep Nigeria on the path of peace, progress and genuine development,” he said.
Mimiko specifically praised the Federal Government’s student loan programme, NELFUND, describing it as a major effort aimed at democratising access to education.
“The NELFUND initiative to democratise access to education is another commendable effort of Mr President which must be applauded, and for an avowed supporter of state police like myself, the current effort to decentralise policing as being pursued is another reason I am happy to be part of the current effort under Mr President,” he added.
Receiving the former governor into the party, Ondo State APC Chairman, Kolawole Babatunde, described Mimiko as a committed progressive whose achievements in office remained remarkable.
“Former Governor Mimiko is a progressive through and through, and his coming into the APC is like a homecoming. President Tinubu’s every initiative and effort are progressive in nature and are yielding positive results that are endearing to other positive and progressive-minded Nigerians,” Babatunde stated.
Also speaking, former member of the House of Representatives representing Ondo East/West Federal Constituency, Joseph Akinlaja, said Mimiko’s defection marked the complete movement of the former governor’s political structure into the APC.
“Before now, some of us had moved into the APC mostly with his consent, but now feel fully satisfied that he has finally joined us so that we can all contribute to the landslide electoral success of President Tinubu and all the party’s candidates in subsequent elections,” Akinlaja said.
Mimiko was received at the APC Secretariat in Ondo City by party leaders, supporters and members of the state executive council of the party.
