By Dayo Johnson

AKURE—The furore generated by the defection of Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, deepened, weekend, following irreconcilable differences in the composition of the state executives of the party.

Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko

Some leaders of the party in the state led by the state Chairman, Ebenezer Alabi, insisted that the agreement reached with the governor by their national leaders, without their input on sharing of party positions was unfair and unacceptable to them.

They reportedly conveyed their displeasure to President Goodluck Jonathan who directed the Senate president David Mark to have a second look at the agreement and iron out the differences.

Consequently the Senate president led reconciliation and integration committee and the Ondo State Working Committee of the party will hold another round of talks this week to iron out grey areas in the defection agreement with governor.

Vanguard learnt that the meeting scheduled to hold in Abuja was postponed to this week because of the inauguration of the Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose.

It was learnt that in the said agreement the governor was to present candidates for the positions of the state chairman, secretary, treasurer and youth leader within the state Working Committee. But the State Working Committee members are insisting on holding on to the position of the state chairman while the governor can have other positions.

Their insistence is sequel to the fact that it is strategic and significant to the old PDP in the determination of candidates of the party in next year’s election.

The SWC also believed that the candidature issue determines how 2016/17 gubernatorial candidate for the state will emerge.

Governor Mimiko is leading his team to the talk while the state Chairman of the party, Hon Alabi, would lead the team of old PDP members. In Dr Mimiko team are Director General of National Sports Commission, Gbenga Elegbeleye, former Information Commissioner in the state, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, former Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the late Dr. Olusegun Agagu, Chief Segun Adegoke and former Ambassador to Austria Prof Olu Agbi.

In the team led by Alabi are a former governorship candidate of the party, Chief Olusola Oke, a former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Chief Victor Olabimtan, Presidential Adviser on Amnesty Affairs, Kingsley Kuku, former Defence Minister Tokunbo Kayode, SAN, former state chairman, Dr Tayo Dairo, BOT member, Dr. Olabode Olajumoke and business mogul Jimoh Ibrahim.

Vanguard gathered that two leaders from the south who are not comfortable with the governor’s leadership of the party which they knew would jeopardise their chances in the 2016/2017 governorship election are behind the furore the defection is generating.

The leaders are out to ensure that the governor does not have the nerve of the party in the state so as to avoid his stooges emerging thereby putting the old PDP members at a disadvantage.

It was learnt that their fight is to ensure that the southern part of the state produces the next governor which the governor is not in support.

With the nomination forms in the custody of the old PDP in the state, the fate of aspirants coming from Labour Party to the PDP remained uncertain as the collection of the forms terminates at the end of this month.