On December 14 2006, the ancient town of Akure was agog when the then immediate past Minister of Housing and Urban development Dr Olusegun Mimiko officially declared his intention to contest for the coveted Governorship post, for the first time, there was a traffic jam in the town, the crowd was mammoth, market women, artisans, entrepreneurs simply put the masses all troupe out to welcome the Ondo born medical doctor cum politician. That is a difference case from what was obtainable them as the doctor is struggling hard to amass followership and resolved to declare his intention to be back in Labour Party by mobilising people across the state to his country home, Ondo Town.
Leveraging on the poor governance being delivered by the Dr Olusegun Agagu of blessed Memory administration, he won the election and thereafter denied his mandate and several others prominent political institutions stood by him to reclaim his mandate.
Mimiko political career has always been coloured with betrayal and sly all in a bid to be a Governor, it will be instructive to note that the 2007 general elections was not his first shot at the Alagbaka House , he attempted but failed in the 2003 elections. Those who were like rock of Gilbratar during the process of regaining his mandate at the tribunal got served their own dosage of betrayal as most were schemed out effectively.
How do you judge a politician? Politician all over the world are judged from their political base, their ward, constituency, hamlets, villages and towns. How influential are you?, do you have the fans base? Can you pull crowd? Same can't be said as at now of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as most of his political associates, former appointees in his government have refused to join him in his second sojourn to the LABOUR PARTY, even the candidate he presented in the last gubernatorial election in the state Bar. Eyitayo Jegede SAN which everyone believe is expected to be the number one in the cross carpeting have left him to be on his own, because Dr. Mimiko is now more a light politician who will struggle to deliver his ward.
Ever since he won the 2007 Governorship election, Mimiko political prowess has been dwindling, take for instance his re election bid in 2012, in Ondo West which happens to be his strongest hold, he was only able to garner 31,280, while the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) got 7,225 and the People Democratic Party got 6,669 votes.
In the last governorship between his party's candidate Bar. Eyitayo Jegede, Akeredolu and Oke, the result goes thus, Alliance for Democracy got 7,154, All Progressive Congress got 10,672, People Democratic Party 17,382, commonsensical, if APC and AD did synergize in that election, your guess is has good as mine as he could not pull a 50% in the total votes cast. With most of his follower who were actively with him during the last election not longer in his camp he will definitely be flawed in any election in Ondo West and East, how can such politician command support across the state.
Dr Mimiko has been losing his political pedigree most especially in Ondo West almost after every election, a vibrant politician should be able to build up on every election, what can be the reason(s) for this? It all boils down to the law of Karma, you can't rob Peter to pay Paul. It a well know fact that Mimiko is synonymous with betraying people his kinsmen inclusive...
It is pertinent to note that Mimiko bugled the once in a lifetime opportunity handed down to him on a platter of gold by Ondo State people, he embarked on white elephants project which has since been seen as project that are not sustainable e.g the Mega Schools, the Dome, etc, the list is endless paying less attention to development of human capacities to drive economic growth to revatilize the economy of the state.
As he takes another political dive by rejoining the Labour Party which he left in 2014, is it safe to say that Dr Mimiko's political career is about kicking the bucket?
By Abayomi Oluwole from Akure.
