Mass defection is looming in the camp of the ruling Labour Party in Ondo State, as some recently sacked commissioners perfect plans to defect to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the next few weeks,
State governor, Olusegun Mimiko, had, last Thursday, dissolved his cabinet made up of 22 commissioners and four special advisers. Prior to the dissolution, there was widespread rumour that some of the cabinet members were in talks with leaders of the opposition ACN in the state. The development, some aides of the governor said, angered Mr Mimiko, who hurriedly dissolved his cabinet.
Besides the commissioners, it was reliably gathered that members of the former executives at the local government and ward levels, who were also removed from office, are also planning to decamp to the ACN.
Ondo State is the only state in the southwest not under the control of the ACN and the party's leaders are pushing to defeat the ruling Labour Party, especially as the formerly dominant Peoples Democratic Party is riven by internal conflict.
Some prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are on the brink of moving to the ACN. Notable among them are a former commissioner for finance, Tayo Alasoadura; former secretary to the state government, Isaacs Kekemeke; former member of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Otitoju Atikase; and a former Labour Party Lawmaker, Kunle Odidi.
ACN sources said these men would officially defect to the party at a colourful event later this month. Though no date has been fixed for the defection, a former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is expected to officially welcome them into ACN.
The chief press secretary to Mr Mimiko, Kolawole Olabisi, however, described the defection plan of the former Labour officials as mere rumours.
"Well, to us this cannot be true because it is in the realm of mere conjecture. This is because we all worked together to build the LP in the state. To us, such insinuations are better ignored," Mr Olabisi said.
The new bride
However, a leader of the ACN, Ade Adetimehin, said the state government needs to do more to assure indigenes of the state because of perceived insensitivity to the plights of the masses.
He explained that no fewer than 30,000 members of the party have moved to the ACN in the last few weeks.
"ACN is the new bride in Ondo State politics today and politicians from all the political parties are defecting to the ACN. It is a welcome development; it shows that our party is going to take over Ondo State," Mr Adetimehin said.
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Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayState governor, Olusegun Mimiko, had, last Thursday, dissolved his cabinet made up of 22 commissioners and four special advisers. Prior to the dissolution, there was widespread rumour that some of the cabinet members were in talks with leaders of the opposition ACN in the state. The development, some aides of the governor said, angered Mr Mimiko, who hurriedly dissolved his cabinet.
Besides the commissioners, it was reliably gathered that members of the former executives at the local government and ward levels, who were also removed from office, are also planning to decamp to the ACN.
Ondo State is the only state in the southwest not under the control of the ACN and the party's leaders are pushing to defeat the ruling Labour Party, especially as the formerly dominant Peoples Democratic Party is riven by internal conflict.
Some prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are on the brink of moving to the ACN. Notable among them are a former commissioner for finance, Tayo Alasoadura; former secretary to the state government, Isaacs Kekemeke; former member of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Otitoju Atikase; and a former Labour Party Lawmaker, Kunle Odidi.
ACN sources said these men would officially defect to the party at a colourful event later this month. Though no date has been fixed for the defection, a former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is expected to officially welcome them into ACN.
The chief press secretary to Mr Mimiko, Kolawole Olabisi, however, described the defection plan of the former Labour officials as mere rumours.
"Well, to us this cannot be true because it is in the realm of mere conjecture. This is because we all worked together to build the LP in the state. To us, such insinuations are better ignored," Mr Olabisi said.
The new bride
However, a leader of the ACN, Ade Adetimehin, said the state government needs to do more to assure indigenes of the state because of perceived insensitivity to the plights of the masses.
He explained that no fewer than 30,000 members of the party have moved to the ACN in the last few weeks.
"ACN is the new bride in Ondo State politics today and politicians from all the political parties are defecting to the ACN. It is a welcome development; it shows that our party is going to take over Ondo State," Mr Adetimehin said.
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