After successfully managing Dr. Segun Agagu’s gubernatorial campaign in 2003, Dr. Segun Mimiko turned round to thwart his re-election in 2007. Dr. Mimiko is now faced with the same nightmare as his own campaign manager, Dr. Olaiya Oni jumps ship to fight him in the 2013 gubernatorial election. The unfolding scenario in Ondo is further stoked by the unsettled power supremacy between Mimiko and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

By Dayo Johnson

THE resignation of Dr Olaiya Oni as the Chairman of the Ondo State chapter of Labour Party may not have come as a surprise to those that have been following recent political trends in the Sunshine State. What could have prompted Dr. Oni to have sacrificed his unique position as party chairman in the only state controlled by the Labour Party remains a mystery to many.

Oni indeed had come a long way with Governor Segun Mimiko and had fought the trench battle with him against the former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP leadership led by former Governor Segun Agagu. Reports alleging varying interests including financial lucre, political empowerment and dictatorial tendencies are being bandied all about.

Oni alleged in his statement of resignation that he was sidelined as party chairman in many crucial activities as concerning the running the state including appointments and the award of contracts.

The alleged margnilalisation he claimed was despite his sacrifices and contributions to the enthronement of Dr. Mimiko as Governor.

It is alleged in some quarters that the erstwhile chairman had secretly wished to succeed Governor Segun Mimiko who he may have believed would serve only one term in office.

The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN where Oni is believed to have now pitched his tent, it is alleged, got a sniff of the ambitions of Dr. Oni before dangling a carrot to him. That carrot it is believed is the gubernatorial ticket in the 2013 gubernatorial election.

The speculation that Oni may resign and head for ACN has been much speculated in the last three months in the state. In fact reports had it that he had actually threatened to throw in the towel on three occasions after having some stand-offs with the Governor over issues concerning the running of the party, empowerment of party chieftains and related issues.

In his resignation statement exclusively handed over to a Lagos newspaper, Dr. Oni who is a former Secretary to the Ondo State government said his alleged non patronage/empowerment meant that his labour in winning the election that produced Governor Mimiko with 3 senators, 8 house of Representatives and 25 House of Assembly members and placing the party as one of the six most influential parties in the country was in vain.

The former chairman said he resigned his position because of the way Governor Mimiko is running the government like his personal property without recourse to the party secretariat.

According to him apart from the monthly N450, 000 grant for running the party secretariat, he was denied any other form of patronage in form of contracts from the Mimiko government even though he sold some of his personal properties in the struggle to enthrone Mimiko as Governor.

In the statement signifying his resignation, Dr. Oni said that despite financial inducement from certain quarters that he had stood with Mimiko but now to the point of regret.

He added ”I don’t know how much money comes into this state and don’t know how the money is being spent. Dr Mimiko had continued to dribble me, today he will say that chairman go and bring that, I am going to give you that and he had been saying it for the past one year and he had failed”.

Significant momentum

Dr. Oni’s move, however, seems to be of little effect, at least, for now as no significant momentum has gone his way after his controversial exit.

The traditional ruler of his home town Ise Akoko, Oba Omola was among the first to deny him as his own royal father led other Akoko Obas to disown him during a solidarity visit to the governor a day after Dr. Oni’s resignation was made public. They assured the Governor that they are solidly behind him.

They were piqued by the excuses given by the former chairman that he was not empowered and described it as selfish and unbecoming of a statesman.

Dr Mimiko in his response to the traditional rulers  said he bore no grudges against Oni even though he took exception to the way and manner the resignation was conveyed to him through a newspaper.

Mimiko expressed gladness that his erstwhile party chairman did not accuse him of non-performance saying he didn’t mind that Oni’s quarrel was that the government failed to empower him at the detriment of the people and the state.

He was, however, quiet on other allegations raised by Oni bothering on his alleged dictatorship.

But he failed to respond to other allegations which include running the state like his personal property without recourse to the party secretariat.

Mimiko continues by saying that “to the best of my knowledge we did all we could to take care of the former chairman. l do not want to join issues with him. God would be the Judge between the two of us. His exit was a deliberate plan to distract the government but we would not be deterred in our quest to see that the majority of the people of the state are pleased and not any individual.

The LP establishment was quick to rally to the side of the Governor in denouncing its erstwhile chairman.

The LP Publicity Secretary Femi Okunjemiruwa, in his reaction said: “It is odd that Dr. Oni chose an unorthodox route to announce his resignation instead of submitting a letter to the National Secretariat of the Party.

Okunjemiruwa noted that “It is pitiable that the pivot of Dr. Oni’s resignation is that he has not enjoyed enough juicy contracts from the Ondo State government. This celebrated sentiment by the erstwhile Chairman is tangential to the ethos of the Labour Party to ensure the greatest good for the greatest number of the people of Ondo State, and not to donate public fund to some influential party chieftain. We sympathize with Dr. Oni for taking such a pugnacious path to exit the great Labour Party.”

Expectedly the crisis in the ruling party has been meat for the two major opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.

Reacting to the development, the Director of Publicity of the ACN Gbenga Akinmoyo told Vanguard:

“For a long time now we have stated that the affairs of this state have been marshalled by a man who has exhibited dictatorial tendencies and this has been confirmed by the former chairman of the LP.

“We celebrate the courage of the former Chairman and commend him for his revelation that from the inception of this government about 30 months ago, the party and the state have been run as a one-man show by a person who fails to realise that Ondo state is bigger than any one individual. It is noteworthy that this elder statesman recognised that he was about to jeopardise everything that he has achieved in his public service and has decided to abandon the Labour Party’s sinking ship, before he and other good meaning citizens go down with the dictator.”

“It is a rarity in modern day politics in this part of the world for a senior party official to resign his appointment, leaving behind the largesse of office in order to retain his credibility and for this we welcome this development.

Personal interests

The PDP in its own reaction through its Director of Publicity Ayo Fadaka said “in resigning Dr Olaiya Oni declared that the governor is ‘self seeking and ready to sacrifice any relationship for personal interests’. Of course he was not saying anything new as everybody in this State now knows that Mr. Governor is only propelled by his selfish desires. He went further to declare his frustration that Dr. Mimiko had not given him the benefit of a single contract as the State Chairman of his Party.

Since Oni had apparently steered his political train towards the equally hated ACN, the PDP was as such not unsparing of him as it said: “However, it is pertinent to point out that both Oni and Mimiko are birds of identical plumage, taking political actions to achieve only selfish goals that are calculated to promote their desires and not to achieve any good for the society. Since the advent of this republic, both of them had been associated with every administration deeply, while Mimiko had always been in Government, Oni had always been a big wig and mostly a cosmetic handler.”

Given the unfolding development it is predictable that the once reported accord between the ACN and the LP against the PDP is dead and buried. What lies ahead is an interesting three way race by the three dominant parties in the Sunshine State.