Jimoh Ibrahim
The Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission, has accused Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko of sponsoring Friday’s violent protest in Akure, the Ondo Capital.
INEC had on Thursday in its final list shortlisted Jimoh Ibrahim as the flagbearer of the party. A decision that did not go down well with several political gladiators in the state. Jimoh Ibrahim’s candidature emerged from the Senator Modu Sheriff led faction of the PDP, while Eyitayo Jedede whose name had hitherto being shortlisted on INEC’s website as the PDP flag-bearer is of the Ahmed Makarfi faction.
In a statement made available to the media Friday night, Ibrahim said his attention had been drawn to the ongoing burning of tyres, orchestrated by Mimiko.
The statement reads: “In 2009 Governor Mimiko forged security reports of the DSS and the Police to deceive the court and tribunal of Justice Nabaruma that there were security issues in the state, leading to cancellation of results in 8 out of 18 Local Governments of the State.
“This is how Governor Mimiko schemed himself into power and became the Governor of Ondo State, but when the late President Umaru Musa Yar’dua realized that the forgery story was true, Mimiko was already enjoying constitutional protection as Governor.
“Mimiko called on the drivers’ union in the state, whose chairman is his relative, to gather disposed tyres across the and burn them so as to show that there are security challenges in Akure town.
“While the tyres were burning, school children were attending their classes, Banks were opened, market women and traders were carrying on their economic activities, courts were sitting and more tyres were burning by the side of the road.
“Regrettably, Mimiko’s orthodoxy has played out to be fake, empty and unbecoming of a person that occupies the position of the Governor of a state.
“Am happy to note that Mimiko eventually met with President Muhammdu Buhari, a president Mimiko once described in a meeting with the former President Goodluck Jonathan, as unfit to govern Nigeria and according to Governor Mimiko, the president does not have a school certificate.
“Mimiko’s trajectory of movement lately includes visit to Senator Buruji Kashamu and his offer of title to choice properties in Abuja but the senator declined, Mimiko filed action at the State High Court Akure, Federal High Court Abuja and secured a Saturday opening of door for hearing at the Court of Appeal Abuja all simultaneously, burning billions of naira which ought to have been used to pay salaries of workers in Ondo State.
“Regrettably, this tyre burning for sympathy will not work as Ondo State remains peaceful.,” he said.
Recall that there was wild protest in Akure, the Ondo State Capital on Friday following INEC’s declaration of Jimoh Ibrahim as the standard flagbearer of the PDP in the forthcoming November 26th election in the state.
