Dilemma is the reason for Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko’s vacillation over his pet project of dumping the Labour Party (LP), through which he came to power, for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speculation has been rife for months that the man his admirers call “Iroko” will bid farewell to the LP, which has no other member who is a governor.
Mimiko recently attended a meeting of South West PDP. But his appearance at the LP National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on September 10 set tongues wagging, and seemed to give credence to the claim by LP Chairman, Dan Nwanyanwu, that the defection story was a hoax.
Investigation showed, however, that it is probably a matter of time before Mimiko joins the PDP, from where he defected to the LP in 2007.
Delay in announcement
The delay in his decision is attributed to the hostile atmosphere said to be awaiting him in the PDP.
“He is still consulting on this matter you just raised. It is true that he is willing to rejoin the PDP but the truth is that the leadership of the PDP in Ondo State is not prepared to accommodate him,” a source in the party disclosed.
“Mimiko wishes to be allowed to control the PDP structures in the state when he defects eventually but PDP leaders in the state are not prepared to concede an inch to him in this regard.
“In fact, their (PDP) state chairman has openly boasted that he is waiting for Mimiko to defect to the party and drag the control of the party with him. He has made it clear that he will not concede to Mimiko.”
Double jeopardy against move
Besides, many LP leaders are said to be unwilling to follow him to the PDP, which was made clear during the PDP NEC meeting in Abuja.
The source said the state House of Assembly members and federal lawmakers “were not happy over the plan by Mimiko to defect to the PDP and they displayed that resentment during the NEC meeting.
“Most of them made it clear that they are comfortable remaining in the LP.”
Some state LP chieftains want to take over its structures the moment Mimiko makes public his desire to jump ship.
So, part of his concern is that (a) if he joins the PDP, most of his longstanding foot soldiers will not cross over with him, and (b) state PDP leaders will not allow him to field his loyalists for election in 2015.
Mimiko, an ally of President Goodluck Jonathan, is reportedly negotiating with the PDP national leadership to allow LP members to contest state and federal legislative elections while state party structures are turned in for Jonathan during the presidential vote.
This proposal has not been fully endorsed by the PDP leadership, though.
State PDP leaders are looking at the bigger issue of who gets what should Jonathan win re-election. They do not want political appointments cornered by Mimiko and his supporters.
LP members jostle for chairmanship
Within the LP itself, there is a scramble for the position of national chairman which will become vacant next month when Nwanyanwu quits. He has announced that he would not be standing for re-election, having held the reigns for about 11 years.
Among the aspirants is former Trade Union Congress (TUC) President, Peter Esele, who was a delegate to the just concluded national conference.
But it is a rather long shot.
The snag, said a source, is that “Esele is not a card carrying member of the Labour Party so he cannot aspire to lead the party at this material time.
“He only attended the NEC meeting in representative capacity, having come to represent the current TUC President at the occasion.”
Another person eyeing the job is LP National Secretary, Abubakar Salam, who has enjoyed a cordial relationship with Nwanyanwu since the LP was formed in 2004.
Salam declined comment, promising to speak when the time is appropriate.