It seems the Ondo State governor is already predicting the take over of the People’s Democratic Party in the South West region less than a week he reportedly dumped the labour Party for the ruling PDPD.
The Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has given an assurance to the people that President Goodluck Jonathan will record resounding electoral victory in Lagos State to secure his re-election in 2015.
Mimiko made the assertion statement yesterday notable South-west Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders converged on the National Theatre, Lagos, as the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) conferred the former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, Chief Olabode George, with the prestigeous Mandela Icon Award.
The governor who was the chairman of the occasion premised his optimism on the achievements of the President Jonathan-led federal government, particularly in the area of education and youth empowerment, which he said was responsible for the emancipation of youths in Lagos, other parts of the West and the country at large.
He also averred that by the award conferred on George by NANS coordinators, Nigerian students had shown a sharp departure from the propaganda that dominated the country’s political space.
“President Jonathan will get the highest quantum of percentage votes in Lagos because when the students come out to talk, they always mean what they say.
“In terms of education, except the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, no one has done better than President Goodluck Jonathan. The almajiri school, $25million to make schools safe for students and several other policies of the government are making education easier for students – you know what your tuition are,” he noted.
Describing George as a selfless man who stands for the truth and the less-privileged, Mimiko said: “Today he (George) stands tall in the political firmament of the country. He stands for the truth always. He stood for the truth in my own state too.
“Has a lot of roles to play in this country and in 2015, we shall come to celebrate with you when the PDP produces the next governor of Lagos State.”
Former Ogun State Governor, Mr. Gbenga Daniel, who was the co-chairman of the event, canvassed for the people to come together to ensure that George who he said had contributed to PDP successes in the South-west, wins the state in 2015.
Daniel pledged total support for the party leader, stressing that “wherever he goes, we shall go and the reason is not far-fetched; when we had a Yoruba president without support from his base, he led some of us to reverse that.”
George, while expressing appreciation for the respect and love he got from the awardees and his party men, also reiterated his support and commitment to President Jonathan’s re-election, urging the people to work for the president’s success at the 2015 polls.
The event attracted the former Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole; former Minister for Works, Senator Seye Ogunlewe; Lagos PDP Chairman, Mr. Tunji Shelle; member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Ebenezer Babatope; party stalwart, Kashamu Buruji and former Oyo State Governor, Adebayo Akala.
Others included Sasaki Fakunle, Dr. Ade Dosunmu, Ambassador Olutokunbo Kamson, Chief Semiu Kukoyi, a governorship aspirant on the PDP platform, Jimi Agbaje, Mr. Tunde Olowu, Dr. Adegbola Dominic and several other PDP loyalists.
