Mimiko: I Had No Pact with ACN

Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko has dismissed allegations by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) that he reneged on an agreement reached with leaders of ACN that he would quit Labour Party (LP) as soon as the court declared him winner of the April 14, 2007 governorship election.

In his first press interview since he assumed office as the governor of Ondo State in his office in Akure on Monday, Mimiko said he never had any agreement with anybody that he would switch over to ACN, saying such insinuations were only products of propaganda.
Mimiko who said he had since addressed key issues over the allegation, that he had deliberately opted to be silent over abuses poured on him by ACN leaders, saying he had opted to toe the path of honour by declining to respond to such abuses but rather to address issues generated by the development. “I have responded to key issues but I have not responded to abuses. I didn’t have any agreement with anybody to move to ACN,” the governor said.

ACN leaders had at a presidential campaign rally in Akure in February 2011, accused the governor of reneging on the agreement he had with them before his court victory in February 2009 that he would defect from Labour Party describing his action as a betrayal. But Mimiko who said he would never abuse anyone said at no time and place did he reach such an agreement with anybody.
Mimiko who recalled that since the advent of civil rule in 1999, he had moved from Alliance for Democracy (AD) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before finally defecting to Labour Party (LP) prior to 2007 general election, stressed that in all the instances that he had changed parties, his reasons for leaving such parties had always been justifiable.

According to him, he left AD prior to the 2003 general election because it was obvious for all to see that internal democracy was dead in the party adding that he again left the PDP to contest the 2007 election on the platform of Labour Party because some perceived powerful elements in the party had shut the door against his governorship ambition and thrown the key into the water

Ogun Education Commissioner, 6 others docked for firearms’ possession

AN Akure Chief Magistrate Court has ordered that the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Elder Yemi Akinwoni and six others be remanded in prison custody till April 27.

Akinwoni and his team were docked for being in possession of one double barrel gun; one cut-to-size gun; two live cartridges; and four expended cartridges during the National Assembly polls.

Other items found on them included; 92 voters cards; one extra number plate with registration number Ogun: AV 897 AAB; and six wraps of Indian hemps.

Other accused persons including; Wasiri Buari, Ikuajuwajo Oluremi, 38; Salami Morufu, 43; Oluwole Oluwaseun, 26; Olorunsola Fadugba 44; and Omokuwajo Fadugba, 44; were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Siji Akinsola.

Abducted doctor’s wife released in Ondo

Sixteen days after she was abducted by unknown men, the wife of a medical doctor in Ondo State, Mrs Juliana Ogunleye, was, on Monday, released by her abductors.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that the 65 years old woman was eventually freed around 5.30 a.m on Monday.

It was gathered that the abductors called the family members early in the morning to go and pick the woman where she was dropped.

The woman was later picked up by her family members at about 5.40am on Ado-Ekiti road, where the kidnappers had dropped her.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on phone over the development, one of the children of the woman, Ayo Ogunleye, said the kidnappers put a call to one of their uncles early in the morning.

According to him, the people said they should go and pick their mother since they had refused to pay the ransom demanded from the family.

He said: “They (abductors) just called us to go and pick our mother, the voice said since we have refused to pay the N50 million ransom. It shows that our mother is worthless and that we should go and pick her.”