Former Ondo Gov, Mimiko joins PDP,  says it’s a mission to rescue Nigeria

 

.Former Minister dumps APC for PDP in Kwara

.Anxiety as Appeal Court rules on Secondus’ suit today

 

Less than 24 hours to the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and his supporters on have joined the party.

 

The decision was contained in a communique issued by the chairman of ZLP in the State, Chief Joseph Akinlaja after a stakeholder meeting Thursday  following  the visit of four PDP governors to Mimiko.

 

Earlier, four serving governors of PDP ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia as well as other political leaders of the opposition party held a closed-door meeting with Mimiko and other stakeholders of the ZLP.

 

Speaking after the less than 45 minutes closed-door meeting, the chairman  of PDP Governors Forum, Tambuwal said the meeting with Mimiko was part of the steps towards the party’s mission to rescue Nigeria saying it becomes necessary to woo Mimiko into the PDP fold to join hands with the progressives towards building a new Nigeria.

 

Tambuwal said, “we are here in Ondo town, the resident of our leader, Olusegun Mimiko to re-invite him back to his political family, PDP and as you can see we have governors from Rivers, Oyo and Abia states and we have had a robust engagement with him.

 

“We are very hopeful that we are going to have a positive response from him soonest. Our message is simple, let us come back together to reposition the PDP towards rescuing Nigeria now.

 

On the 2023 general elections, Tambuwal said, “we are to reposition the country and to ensure that PDP is back to power in 2023.”

 

Addressing the ZLP stakeholders, Governor Wike also urged the Zenith Labour Party member to support Mimiko to return to the PDP.

 

“We are here because we know the importance of Iroko. We need everybody in the country to work together to rescue the country. It is everybody’s business to rescue this country. Tell him to join us so that we can move the country forward.” Wike said

 

Speaking before taking the decision to rejoin PDP,  Mimiko said the meeting was part of the series of meetings held over two months ago with various political leaders from different parties

 

He said “this is one of the series of interactions we had over two months ago and they have come at least to convince us why we should come back to join forces with them in PDP.

 

“We have listened to them, we will go back to our stakeholders’ meeting because it is them, stakeholders, that will decide before we will make our decision on it.

 

“It is the stakeholders that will decide. I will give the stakeholders my opinion and they will decide if we should move.”

 

However, the stakeholders after serious deliberation unanimously agreed to rejoin the PDP.

 

The communique signed by the State Chairman of ZLP,  Chief Joseph Akinlaja, said members of the ZLP across the 18 local government areas in the state decided to join PDP after a thorough appraisal of the development in the country.

 

Akinlaja said in the communique that: “The meeting followed an earlier visit by four PDP governors led by the chairman of their forum, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Okezie Ikpeazu, Nyesom Wike and Seyi Makinde.

 

The governors had told the press after their meeting with Mimiko that they are in Ondo to invite Mimiko and his teeming supporters in the ZLP to the PDP.

 

“The stakeholders meeting was called to discuss the meeting with the PDP governors and intimate members with the outcomes of a series of interactions with PDP leaders on the invitation extended to him.

 

“Mimiko told the stakeholders that the ZLP is being invited to join the PDP to rescue the country from the brink of insecurity.

 

“The stakeholders appraised developments across the nation and agreed that the PDP is the most viable platform to work with to be able to work towards winning future elections in the State and in the country as a whole.

 

“Mimiko had earlier told members that leaders of the PDP have shown demonstrable commitment to fully integrate all willing joiners from the ZLP and accord them full membership rights in what promises to be a win for PDP members and Nigerians alike.

 

“After detailed deliberations by leaders across Local Government Areas, a motion moved for members of the ZLP in Ondo State to join the PDP was put to vote to which all present voted yes by popular acclamation.

 

“It was resolved after deliberations that members of ZLP decided to pitch their tent with the Peoples Democratic Party to rescue the country from the misrule of the APC and set her on a path of peace and progress for the benefit of all.”

 

The ZLP stakeholders meeting was attended by Mimiko, former deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi, his running mate, Gboye Adegbenro, former speaker, Jumoke Akindele, the state chairman of the party, Hon. Joseph Akinlaja among other leaders.

 

Meanwhile, PDP Convention: Appeal Court rules on Secondus’ suit today

 

 

The Appeal Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State will on Friday decide whether or not the Peoples Democratic Party will go ahead with the conduct of its National Convention this weekend.

 

A panel of three justices, headed by the Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, reserved the ruling on Thursday after hearing arguments in the application filed by the former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus to suspend the conduct of the convention.

 

The convention, slated for October 30 and 31 in Abuja, had been fixed by the PDP’s National Working Committee as part of efforts to resolve the party’s internal crisis.

 

The convention is expected to lead to the election of new national officers.

 

 

However, the decision did not go down well with Secondus, hence the filing of the application.

 

During Thursday’s proceedings, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), counsel to Secondus, argued that refusing to grant his application to stop the PDP Convention can be likened to “pulling off the rug under the feet of the appellant”.

 

He said his client will be permanently denied the right to preside over or participate in the convention if the pending applications bordering on his leadership and membership status go in his favour.

 

But the submission was opposed by Henry Bello, counsel to the first to fifth respondents, who are the Chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party in five Local Government Areas of Rivers State.

 

The Chairmen are challenging Secondus’s legal right to resume as National Chairman of the PDP following his suspension from the party in his ward in Ikuru Town in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.

 

Mr Bello reading an excerpt of his 24-paragraph affidavit sworn to by the First respondent (one of the LGA party Chairmen), argued that the application to stop the PDP convention by Uche Secondus, was alien to the existing appeals before the court bordering on the leadership and membership of Uche Secondus in the party.

 

The opposition by Henry Bello was supported by the lawyer to the PDP, Sunday Ameh (SAN).

 

He said that Secondus voluntarily handed over the authorities of his office to a subordinate who has been acting lawfully as the National Chairman and is bestowed with the right to preside over the National Convention.

 

According to him, “the balance of convenience in the matter is in not granting the application” to stop the convention.

 

Also, Donald Dee-Nwigwe (SAN), representing the ninth and 10th respondents, picked holes in the argument by Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) that the conduct of the National Convention by the PDP will be a denial of Uche Secondus right to preside over the convention.

 

 

He noted that, “a Chairmanship position of the PDP is at best a political privilege, not a right” and that the September judgment of a High Court in Rivers State which validated the suspension of Uche Secondus from the party has nullified any such privilege which Uche Secondus seeks to protect through his application.

 

Other counsels, including Godwin Obla (SAN), Sebastine Horns, who represented other respondents like the National Vice Chairman, South-South of the PDP, Dan Obih, also opposed the application to stop the PDP convention.

 

To further defend his application, counsel to Secondus, Mr. Oyetibo argued that the use of the word “shall” in the PDP convention bestowed on Uche Secondus, the right, not privilege to preside over party conversations.

 

He also submitted that the application before the court is not to “prohibit the convention of the party, but to suspend the convention pending the determination of the rights of the parties.”