Mimiko Gives Reason Why He Will Not Support Akeredolu ‘This Time’, Says PDP Candidate, Jegede Arrogant

Former Governor of Ondo state, Olusegun Mimiko, has given reasons why he cannot support incumbent Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo Jegede in next week’s gubernatorial election in the state.

In an open letter to Akeredolu, Mimiko said he would not be supporting Akeredolu ‘this time’ after he earlier supported him in the 2016 gubernatorial election. The former Governor accused Akeredolu of nepotism and abandoning many of the people oriented policies he started while in office.

The letter reads in part: “I have got to discuss certain issues with you absolutely relating to your struggle to go for a second term as governor of Ondo State, the withdrawal of my earlier intention to support you and your very slim chances of winning the forthcoming governorship election in the state come October 10, this year.

“Please, note that this letter would not have been necessary if you have been picking up my calls. Well, I am really not worried about that because to become a governor is not easy at all.

“Now, as you already know, I am not supporting you this time. I am supporting my party, the Zenith Labour Party, and its candidate, Mr Alfred Agboola Ajayi who also, by God’s exceeding gracious mercies, doubles as your deputy.

“When I noticed that you were not forthcoming to seek my usually predictable characteristic support and you took me and our longtime friendship of over 40 years for granted, I waited for Mr Eyitayo Jegede of the PDP to come too.

“In his characteristic arrogance, he too refused to come over to my house in Ondo to discuss his political future with me. He refused to put the political shenanigans of the 2016 governorship election behind him.

“As for you, I would still have come to you but for the following details: I supported you at the last minute in 2016 after Jimoh Ibrahim locked me and Eyitayo Jegede in Abuja for the last two weeks to the governorship election of that year.

“The students in our higher institutions came to me when you ordered increments in their school tuition and I immediately put a phone call  to you begging you to have mercy on them but you refused.

“The market women came to me so that I might implore you to build more neighborhood markets for them and I put a phone call through to you but you didn’t pick up the phone.

“Pregnant women approached me in their numbers to beg me to implore you to continue to allow them to have their babies put to bed for free as it was during my regime but you refused to do so.

“They now lay awake at the middle of the night thinking of how to pay the doctors’ bills; too bad for those poor women.

“The Ondo State indigenous contractors informed me of how you and your government/family give state contracts to foreigners outside the state. Majority of the members of the Ondo State House of Assembly are really annoyed with you because you have refused to allow them to function because the House’s complex is conveniently housing termites and rodents, not habitable for homo sapiens.

“The people of old Okitipupa division of Okitipupa, Irele, Ese-Odo and Ilaje are bitterly complaining about lack of electricity supply in the four local government areas. Please, note that I fully accept responsibility for allowing, albeit mistakenly, the situation to degenerate during my time but this is not an acceptable excuse for you not to act.

“Nobody in Ondo State can say any of my children was noticeably part of my government unlike what obtains in yours where your wife, son and in-laws take center stage and play the role of government business. Based on some or all of the above, I humbly depart from ‘Your Excellency’ until after October 10, as I will like to identify with the people of Ondo State in the forthcoming governorship election. Please, note that I still regard our dear friendship as being intact till eternity.”