Former Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko is set to return to Labour Party, a party he helped nurture after what many have described as 'tempestuous' return stint with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Mimiko announced his official resignation from the PDP in a three-paragraph letter addressed to the Secretariat of the PDP in which he said he took the decision because of some well-thought-out personal reasons.
The Ondo born medical doctor who ruled Ondo state between February 2009 and 2017, will return to the labour party at his ward 7 in Ondo West local government area of the state tomorrow (Thursday).
LP was the party Mimiko used to take Ondo state by storm when he first contested for the governor's seat against incumbent Governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu.
Before contesting as governor, Mimiko had been within the corridors of power since the aborted third republic in 1993.
He was commissioner for health under the Olumilua administration.
Under Governor Adebayo Adefarati Alliance for Democracy, AD-led administration, he was the Commissioner for Health, before moving to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in 2003 to support Agagu against his former boss.
When Agagu won the election in 2003, many believed he won it with Mimiko's support, which was why he was rewarded with the position of secretary to the state government, SSG.
Midway into the administration, ex-President, Olusegun Obasanjo made Mimiko the Minister for Lands and Housing, where he began plans in earnest to wrestle the seat of power from his erstwhile boss.
Knowing it was almost impossible for him to contest on PDP's platform, Mimiko and his loyalists started plans to move to another party.
The LP came as a viable option then, being the 'party of the workers'.
Mimiko soon resigned his appointment as Minister to join the LP December 14, 2006.
He also took with him Alhaji Ali Olanusi and Mr. (later Sen.) Boluwaji Kunlere, state chairman and secretary respectively of the PDP.
Mimiko eventually won the 2007 governorship election in the state, albeit two years later, after a protracted court case.
With him in power, Ondo state became the first and only state in the country with Labour Party at the helms of affairs, making Mimiko the face of the party.
This didn't come without many advances to decamp to the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and the ruling PDP.
He won reelection for a second term in office, defeating PDP's Olusola Oke and ACN's Rotimi Akeredolu.
Mimiko flanked by Oke and Akeredolu during the 2012 governorship debate.In what seemed like a surprise to many, Mimiko decamped to the PDP in October 2014, a time former President Goodluck Jonathan's reelection plans were in top gear.
He was received to the PDP by former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, in company of former Senate President, David Mark, then Deputy National Chairman of PDP (now National Chairman), Uche Secondus, and other party leaders at the banquet hall of the state house, Abuja.
"Today, just barely one year into our second term in office, it is obvious that we do not have any office to run for either now or in 2015. Yet, we feel compelled to join hands with the tendency that is aboard today in the PDP, led by a President that is as focused as he is patriotic, a team that has demonstrated so much promise in its commitment to democracy without which the challenges facing our nation cannot be overcome.
Mimiko collecting the PDP flag from former VP, Namadi Sambo and ex-Senate President David MArk in 2014."And as someone who is positioned today by providence to speak for the people of Ondo State and our collaborators and admirers across the nation, I do not have any doubt whatsoever in my mind that the interest of our people in Ondo State, the South West Zone and that of Nigeria too, will be better served in the PDP in the evolving political configuration in our nation."
"Our immediate target is to help the process of getting President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan elected. We hope to be part of a process of creating, especially in the South West, a solid and robust platform of involvement in the election of the President, governors and legislators and post election governance structure which will help to engender rapid socio-economic development," Mimiko said when he joined the PDP.
While Mimiko said his entrance to PDP was to strengthen the party, this was however not the case in Ondo state, as a major crisis started over who would gain control of the party's structure.
Back from Abuja, Mimiko appointed his Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Clement Faboyede as chairman of the party in the state, to the displeasure of the members of the party in state.
In what looked like a resolution to the leadership tussle, Ebenezer Alabi, who was chairman of the party resigned to allow Faboyede take over the mantle of leadership, with other positions shared among both camps.
Goodluck Jonathan, the man Mimiko claimed he came back to PDP to support his reelection bid did not win the 2015 presidential election, and it looked like the end of Mimiko's political journey.
Further loses occurred when his anointed candidate, and PDP's flagbearer in the November 26, 2017 governorship election in the state lost to the APC candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu.
Jegede's loss came after the party was polarised in that state, with Biyi Poroye leading a faction which presented business mogul, Jimoh Ibrahim as the party's candidate.
Although Jegede won the court case to represent the party at the polls Thursday before the election, he lost to Akeredolu.
Jegede's loss was the beginning of the collapse of Mimiko's dynasty in the state.
Members of the house of assembly who used Mimiko's influence to gain election plotted the removal of Speaker, Jumoke Akindele and her Deputy, Fatai Olotu before decamping to the APC.
While Mimiko was losing the battle on the home front, efforts to win the battle at the national level also failed, after Ekiti Governor, Ayo Fayose and his Rivers counterpart, Nyelsom Wike installed their candidate, Secondus as the PDP national chairman.
After the national convention, news started going round that Mimiko was set to leave the PDP.
First was the Social Democratic Party, SDP, which was leading merger talks with other opposition parties, then the newly formed Advanced People's Democratic Alliance, APDA.
In spite of all the rumours, Mimiko remained quiet, not disclosing his plans to the public, while he continued meeting with his loyalists.
With everything set for his return to the Labour Party, all eyes are on him for his next political move.
A close associate of the former governor who does not want his name published said Mimiko's return to LP is to "give room for negotiations".
"Oga will use the LP platform to contest for 2019 presidency. That will put us on the front seat going to 2023," he told SUNSHINE HERALD.
While it is obvious that Mimiko's sojourn to the PDP did not bring any gain, it is left to see what his return to his political home will birth.
