Governor Olusegun Mimiko
James Sowole
Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State and the Labour Party (LP) candidate for the October 20 election, at the weekend, chided the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the state would not be a party to any integration move meant for somebody’s pocket.
Equally, Mimiko’s Campaign Organisation (MCO) also said Sunday that the alleged threat by the ACN that it would in conjunction with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) resort to self help unless the Director of the State Security Service (SSS) in the state is redeployed was an invitation to a state of anarchy.
Also, the PDP candidate for the governorship election in the state, Chief Olusola Oke, at the weekend, predicted that an end to LP’s alleged deceit in the state would come to an end on October 20.
But, Mimiko, who spoke at a Mega Rally organised by the LP at Okitipupa in the Southern Senatorial District for his second term re-election bid, said the state would not be part of any phony and deceitful integration as being preached by the leadership of the ACN in the South-west.
“They talked about integration, if they want to integrate the South-west, is it going to be in one person’s pockets? If that is integration, then Ondo State will never be a part of such a phony and deceitful integration.
“But if it is the integration for the development of our people; to give world class education for our people; to give world class hospitals; integration to develop our public transportation; to bring development like we are doing in Ondo State for the generality of the people; oh yes, we are for it.
He alleged that Tinubu’s eight years in office as the governor of Lagos State cannot match his three and a half years as tenure in Ondo State.
Mimiko said the much noise about capturing Ondo State which, he said, was being better managed than any of the ACN controlled States was a dream that would fall flat on its face.
“In Ondo State, the ACN is not on ground and they will meet their political waterloo here. Please, ask them what are they doing in Osun that we have not done better? In any of their States, Ondo State is better managed than them.
“I salute Babatunde Fashola, whatever anybody may say, he has shown a flash of brilliance in governance. But the eight years before Fashola, what did they do in Lagos?” he said.
Meanwhile, Oke, who spoke at Ode Irele, the headquarters of Irele local government area in continuation of his campaign for the election, lamented that the people of Irele have been deprived of real benefit of democracy since Mimiko came into power.
Oke said the people of the Ondo South Senatorial District have never had it so bad in the state, promising to execute developmental projects in the area like Agagu did when the PDP governed the state.
Also at Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government, Oke promised the people that he would complete the ongoing road project in are within six months if voted into government.