Mimiko Retains Olanusi as deputy, Dumps Agunloye

Jamiu Yisa

Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria, who got the ruling Labour Party, LP, return ticket Saturday has retained his deputy, Alhaji Ali Olanusi as his running mate contrary to speculations that the former Minister of Power, Dr. Olu Agunloye might likely emerge as the governor’s running mate in the 20 October governorship election in the state.

Mimiko, who was endorsed by his party members at a congress held at Adegbemile hall in Akure, the state capital raised the hand of Olanusi as his running mate.

The governor, who serves out his first term next February, was then overwhelmingly given the second term ticket through affirmation by party delegates from across the 18 local government areas of the state in an exercise conducted by the National Chairman of the party, Barr. Dan Nwanyanwu and monitored by the Alhaji Ali Abacha – led Election Committee in the state capital, Akure.

Before the governorship primaries was held, there had been rumours that Agunloye who was a governorship aspirant under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, met with Mimiko and some cheiftains of LP and they reached some agreements before he defected for LP last Wednesday at the declaration of Mimiko for second term.

P.M NEWS reliably gathered that Mimiko promised to pick the former ACN aspirant, the flagbearer of the party as his LP running mate and hand over power to him in 2017 if he declared for LP.

It would be recalled that the former Minister left the ACN following the refusal of the party national leadership to pick him as the ACN flagbearer.

It was further gathered that early this morning, a governorship aspirant of LP , Mr. Abiodun Ogunjumelo withdrew from the race through a letter he sent to the party leadership.

Ogunjumelo, a Chartered Accountant from Okitipupa local Government Area told the gathering that his withdrawal was as a result of his fervent belief in party supremacy.

“My withdrawal should not come as a surprise because of my belief in the overall interest of our great party. I am declaring to you all that I will die a Labour party member” he said.