The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has refuted speculations that the state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, was contemplating defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to its fold.
The party noted that the purported defection rumor is a deliberate attempt by the PDP led administration in the state to dampen the morale of the people to effect change in the April 11 House of Assembly elections in the state.
A statement issued yesterday by the state publicity secretary of APC, Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, said: “Our attention have been drawn to the rumours making the round that, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State has joined our party, APC, in the state. I want to say emphatically that it is not true”.
APC said Governor Mimiko, who destroyed the fortune of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, will not be allowed to infest the party.
“Governor Mimiko has not joined our party, we are not aware of any supposed meeting he claimed to have had with our leaders. Although, it is confirmed that, Dr. Mimiko has been reaching out to some of our party leadership, but it has been made clear to him that he cannot be accepted into the party’s fold.
“To set the record straight, it should be noted that no leader of our party will welcome or accept Governor Mimiko into our great party. He cannot use our party to redeem the political injuries and bruises he has suffered.
“He is no longer popular among the people. And he is trying to use his defection rumours to sway the mind of the good people of the Sunshine State to feel pity for him.
“The rumours going round in town that he (Mimiko) has joined the APC is untrue and unfounded, we cannot accept political liability into our celebrated Party which represents the hope of the masses”, Adesanya asserted.
