President Goodluck Jonathan has promised that the leadership
of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would resolve the differences between
Olusegun Mimiko, governor of Ondo state, former PDP governorship candidate in
the state, Olusola Oke as well as Jimoh Ibrahim, a top businessman who hails
from the state.
Jonathan made the promise on Wednesday in Akure during the
PDP presidential campaign rally.
Jonathan said that the Federal Government would be able
to work with leaders to bring the dividends of democracy to the state if only
they consider the interests of the state.
“We have issues in Ondo State.
`` The party will work very hard to make sure that Jimoh
Ibrahim, Gov. Olusegun Mimiko and Olusola Oke, the three main contenders in the
state chapter, sit down together and talk about the interest of the state.
"They must not sit down to discuss personal things or
individual interest. They must work together to make sure that, collectively,
we attain the development of Ondo State and the nation.
"Everything about politics is the people, not self. I
know how I came into politics. Politics is about the people; but for the
people, I wouldn't have been here today.
"I did not join politics because I wanted something for
myself. So I am encouraging every politician to think about the people,"
he said.
Jonathan promised that the Federal Government will work with
the Ondo State Government to further develop the state if re-elected in the
Feb. 14 presidential election.
"All we request from you is your votes.
`` When you vote massively for us to ensure we remain in
power beyond 2015, we will work with your government to make sure that we give
you the best," the president said.
Earlier, Mimiko, had said that the people of the state were
supporting Jonathan on principle.
He said the president's transformation agenda had brought
unprecedented development to the country.
The governor assured the president of massive votes in the
state because of the recent merger of the PDP and the Labour Party, saying this
was an electoral asset.
Vice-president Namadi Sambo also appealed to the people to
vote massively for all PDP candidates in the elections.
According to him, power generation, which stood at just 2,
000 megawatts in 2011, was now over 4, 000 megawatts under Jonathan's
administration.
He said that the president had also added 20, 000 tarred
roads to the mere 5, 000 he met in 2011 while he had revived the Nigerian
Railway Corporation.
It would be recalled that Ibrahim and Mimiko have been at
logger heads for years, but their differences have become more worrisome since
October 2014 when the governor defected to PDP, which Ibrahim is a member of.
In March 2011, the state government petitioned the
presidency over Ibrahim’s utterances during a face-off with the governor.
Mimiko had coincidentally met Ibrahim at the airport and
decided to symapthise with him over the kidnap of his mother but not only did
Ibrahim snub the governor, he was also quoted to have said that he would “deal
with Mimiko”.
“Jimoh Ibrahim
pointed angrily at the governor and bellowed, ‘Look, am not interested in your
greetings,” Kolawole Olabisi, the then chief press secretary to Mimiko, said in
a statement.
“I will ensure that
we burn Ondo state down and burn you with it. I will deal with you and your
bunch of rabble rousers.”
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