The crack in the walls of the Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party appears to be widening as the candidate of the party in the 2012 governorship elections in the state, Chief Olusola Oke, is angry over what he described as Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s sponsored media attacks against his person.
Oke, who is regarded as the leader, especially of the old PDP in the state, accused Mimiko of squandering the fortunes of the party through his divisive style of leadership.
He said the governor, who recently just defected to the party, was in the habit of painting him black before President Goodluck Jonathan as well as pretending to be the only one working for the PDP in the state whereas, in reality, the party suffered from his antics.
According to Oke, while the presidential rally in Akure was well-funded by the national leadership of PDP, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Kingsley Kuku, and himself had to raise personal funds to mobilise supporters to the campaign ground on the day of the rally.
He said, “The governor alleged that I have not been working for the party. I want to say that I am not answerable to Dr. Olusegun Mimiko. I am a leader of PDP in Ondo State just as he is a leader. So, I do need to go and do a daily report to him about how I work. If he believes in propaganda, I believe in interacting with people; I go from community to community meeting community leaders, youth leaders and women leaders of the party.
“I have been in the PDP from inception and not a joiner; I did not go to AD, or Labour Party. I have been here and no new comer would come and talk to me on how to work or encourage me. I am the one to educate them about democracy in PDP, about conduct in PDP, about how we behave here, about how we respect integrity of people and about how we relate with each other; that we don’t have a sole administrator here. We don’t have a headmaster here.
“It is unfair for any person to accuse me and to even extend it that I am romancing with APC. I am a politician of national repute. If I have any reason to leave PDP, I will leave but I have no reason because PDP is my party. I eat, smell, sleep, breathe and dream PDP. I am not like others, who jump in and jump out; they jump in when the weather is good and go out when it is not good. I am here for better for worse”.
On the allegation that his supporters were leaving for the APC, Oke said the number of Mimiko’s supporters that had left the ruling party was much more and many of the old PDP members, who left, were protesting his joining the party to destroy the harmony previously existing in the party.
In his response to the claim by Mr. Oke, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Eni Akinsola, said it would be inappropriate for members of the same party to engage in a fight on the pages of newspapers.
Akinsola insisted that Governor Mimiko would not be responding to the issues raised by Oke.
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