Ondo poll: Mimiko blasts Tinubu

Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko at the weekend lambasted the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Senator Ahmed Tinubu advising him on the need for decorum in all his public outings. According to him, those whose pedigree track records are in the public domain must tread cautiously.

Mimiko who spoke at Okitipupa in the Southern Senatorial District of Ondo State during the rally of the Labour Party held for his second term re-election bid specifically stated that the people of Ondo State would not be part of a phoney and deceitful integration as being preached by the leadership of the ACN in the South West.

Specifically, Dr Mimiko who described the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola as a better administrator who has shown ‘flash of brilliance in governance’ than Tinubu noted that Tinubu’s 8 years in office cannot match his three and a half years as Governor of Ondo State. To him, the ruckus about capturing Ondo State which he said was being better managed than any of the ACN controlled States was a dream that would fall flat on its face.

His words: “In Ondo State, the ACN is not on ground and they will meet their political waterloo here. Please, ask them what are they doing in Osun that we have not done better? In any of their States, Ondo State is better managed than them. I salute Babtunde Fashola, whatever anybody may say, he has shown a flash of brilliance in governance. But the 8 years before Fashola, what did they do in Lagos?

“They used 8 years to build just one Millennium School; we in Ondo State, in just three and a half years, have built world class mega schools all over the state.

“They talked about integration, if they want to integrate the South West, is it going to be in one person’s pockets? If that is integration, then Ondo State will never be a part of such a phoney and deceitful integration.

“But if it is the integration for the development of our people; to give world class education for our people; to give world class hospitals; integration to develop our public transportation; to bring development like we are doing in Ondo State for the generality of the people; oh yes, we are for it.

“But if it is integration of the pockets of one person, we will not be part of it and we are aware that the Yoruba across Ondo State and in the South West know the type of integration that they want. And it is definitely not the type of integration being preached by the leadership of the ACN.”

Governor Mimiko who disclosed that he was seeking re-election based on his concrete performance while in office described his contenders to the plum office as district officers, ill-prepared and minions of godfathers out to milk the State saying:
“What I know is that those who say they want to capture Ondo State will lose their deposits in Ondo State on October 20, they will meet their political waterloo. I also know that in Ondo State, we are a proud people with a proud heritage. We shall not, I repeat, we shall not bow to any foreign god. On October 21, I shall be the governor again because on our people will vote for me based on my performance and based on the fact that they want a real Governor, not a District Officer who will repatriate our funds to their taskmasters.”

Source: Vanguard