Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, is the Labour Party (LP) gubernatorial candidate in Ondo State. However, before he transformed into Labour Party flag bearer, he was Secretary to the Government of Ondo State under the leadership of Governor Olusegun Agagu.
Mid-way into the first tenure of Governor Agagu, he was appointed a Federal Minister. Needless to say that Dr. Mimiko was a member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Ondo State Chapter.
To cut long story short, when he could not get the ticket of the Peoples’ Democratic Party for the position of his heart desire, he decided to inject strength into the Labour Party in Ondo State, having behind his mind, his ability to carry his supporters along as a tested politician to wrest power from the incumbent and his former boss, Dr. Agagu.
Mimiko gave what it takes to make Labour Party thick in the State, which, as you know is today the second largest political party in Ondo State. Dr. Mimiko has no direct or indirect link with the Labour Organization in Nigeria before he decided to plunge himself into the “dirty” water of politics, but even a blind man can see the efforts he had made to pull the carpet off the feet of the ruling Peoples’
Democratic Party in Ondo State. We are not by this statement concluding that the Labour Party won the April 14th, 2007 governorship election in Ondo State, but we are only concerned with the effort of a non unionist in the building of the Labour Party in the State.
Having completely painted a picture of a man, who is sincerely determined to make a difference, it is now time to turn over to a man, who is insincere, un-determined, a weakling that believes in riding on the back of individual and groups to achieve selfish political interest.
Adams Oshiomhole, a former Nigerian Labour Congress President delved into politics some few years ago. This is a terrain that is completely different from where he had been for a very long time.
On his arrival, he globe-trotted within the world of the major political parties namely ANPP, AD, PDP, LP and finally joined the Action Congress. However, for every serious minded politician, such rigmarole portrays the individual as a professional carpet crosser, who should not be taken seriously. Needless to state here, how Action Congress was formed. We are well aware that those who formed the beacons of Action Congress are simply former members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, some of whom were de-registered from the PDP during the re-registration exercise embarked upon by Ahmadu Alli led National Executive Committee of’the Party.
First and foremost, if Mr. Adams Oshiomhole was all that politically popular as he wants everyone to believe, why did he not strengthen the Labour Party in’Edo State rather than riding on the back of a political Party formed by de-registered members of PDP, the Party he left to join Labour Party? One wonders why he did not by his so-called popularity, give political muscle to the Labour Party as Dr. Mimiko did in Ondo State, but as a weakling, he rode on the back of another political party rather than his own.
Prior to the April 14, 2007 governorship election in Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole and the Action Congress in Edo State rode on the back of deceitful claims that the former Governor, Lucky Igbinedion was not a member of their Party.
However, their deceit was short-lived as the people of the State soon discovered that Chief Lucky Igbinedion directed the former Secretary to government of Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu to form a pressure group within the PDP in Edo State, which was called Grace Group and of course, the crisis that rocked PDP in the wake of the 2005 PDP Congresses, facilitated the transformation of Grace Group into Action Congress,
Thus, the purpose for the deceit was defeated as the people of the State, having discovered the “AGADA” politics being played by former Governor Lucky Igbinedion and leaders of the Action Congress in Edo State, decided to embrace Prof. (Sen.) Oserheimen Osunbor of the PDP, which of course informed his victory at the polls.
After the election, Adams Oshiomhole and the Action Congress in Edo State, further decided to ride on the back of rumour mongering. Firstly, Oshiomhole and his party went to town, with the rumour that he won the 14th April 2007 governorship election even when INEC had not declared who was the winner in that election and of course, when the result of the election was announced and Prof. (Sen.) Osunbor of the PDP was declared the winner, the people of the State, again knew that they were in for the harvest of products of a political weakling.
It must be noted that the primary objectives of that rumour that Oshiomhole won the election, even before the result of the election was released by INEC, was to cause chaos and to make the State ungovernable for Governor Osunbor.
However, the people of the State did not react or respond to the result of the election as envisaged by Oshiomhole and his Party even though they tried to instigate the people.
Indubitably, Adams Oshiomhole and the Action Congress during the governorship Election Petition Tribunal, rode on the back of intimidation. They will recruit “Army of occupation” each day the Tribunal was sitting to create a scene, akin to what you find in the Middle-East. At one sitting, the official car of the State Deputy Governor, Mr. Lucky Imasuen was badly damaged by those recidivist recruited by Adams Oshiomhole as “Army of occupation”. Adams Oshiomhole, as an alarmist, also rode on the back of falsehood to make the judges of the Tribunal to believe that he won the election, even when it could not be ascertained if he went around his ward, which is one, out of the 192 wards in Edo State. How, then did he know that he won the election? Because he voted in his polling unit and not in all the polling units in Edo State. But all these he did to intimidate the Tribunal.
Recently, after the first sitting of the Appeal Court in the suit filed by Governor Oserheimen Osunbor challenging the judgment of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, Oshiomhole made a statement, which was embarrassing to the good people of Nigeria, where he was quoted as saying that, he is in support of militants in the Niger–Delta. This is one of his antics, which are basically aimed at frightening his targeted individual or group.
This is another product of a weakling, who is ever ready to use any opportunity to–achieve his own selfish interest. If the former labour leader was realistic as he wants every Nigerian to believe, why did he not join the Army during the Civil war, instead of taking a job with a Textile Factory in Kaduna or better still join the boys in the creeks rather than aspiring to be a Governor?
It will interest the world to know that after the last and final sitting of Appeal Court Judges in Benin City, a lot of News relating to the judgment of the Appeal Court had flooded everywhere in the State. This has necessitated the concerned citizens of Edo State to come out with this publication.
Members of Action Congress in Edo State are already jubilating that the outcome of the Appeal will be in their favour. They had gone further to even mention the date fixed for the judgment in the National Life Newspaper, where it was alleged that Governor Osunbor and some of his aides are already moving their belongings out of Government Quarters and offices.
Sometime last week, Adams Oshiomhole, in his bid to be heard, regardless of who ox is gored as attested by Governor Osunbor lashed on members of the House of Representative, calling Honourable member unprintable names. You will recall that Governor Osunbor said in a press interview some days earlier that Adams Oshiomhole could insult and give unpleasant names to even the President of Nigeria, talkless of himself. So, on behalf of Edo people, we apologize to the revered House of Representative and applaud the decision to pay its slightest attention to an unserious politician, like Adams Oshiomhole, who believes that he can make unreasonable noise in other to be settled.
Finally, Adams Oshiomhole, some days ago in Benin at a delegate conference of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees instigated Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, President NLC to make an inciting, unguarded and reckless remarks on the pending Election Petition Appeal at the Court of Appeal.
Alhaji Omar had previously made scathing remarks about the governorship election in Edo State but this particular remarks made recently are tantamount to intimidating the judiciary, just as they did, when the matter was before the lower Court.
It will be recalled that the salaries and wages of the average Edo State Government worker was the poorest in Nigeria during Lucky Igbinedion’s era, who is the leader of Action Congress in Edo State, but today under Prof. Osunbor, Edo State workers salary is one of the highest in Nigeria. Omar and Oshiomhole have sadly turned blind eyes to this, due to their selfish interest.
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