May 30, (THEWILL) – Senator Ayo Akinyelure, a lawmaker who twice represented Ondo Central Senatorial district at the National Assembly, has accused a former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, of working against his interest at the recent Peoples Democratic Party’s primaries.
Akinyelure previously served two terms in the Senate on the platform of the Labour Party before defecting to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) where he signified interest to contest for the third time. Unfortunately, he lost in the primaries to Chief Ifedayo Adedipe who polled 82 votes.
Akinyelure, who got 58 votes, blames his defeat on Mimiko and the three ad-hoc delegates at the primaries.
He alleged that Mimiko instructed the ad-hoc staff to vote him out of office as the former governor has not been on speaking terms with him for a couple of years.
THEWILL gathered that the enmity between Mimiko and Akinyelure started when they were both in the Labour Party. Mimiko allegedly rode on the back of Akinyelure’s staunch support to emerge governor of Ondo State on the platform of the Labour Party in 2009-2017.
However, when he finally settled in Government House, Mimiko forgot Akinyelure’s loyalty to him. When he allegedly gave some of his loyalists an opportunity to nominate candidates for some elective positions, Akinyelure was excluded. Mimiko also ran a one man show and he never listened to his loyalists or carried them along in his administration. Akinyelure made his grievances known to Mimiko at that time and both of them fell apart afterwards. This prompted the lawmaker to defect to the People’s Democratic Party.
Six years after Mimiko defected to the PDP from Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), he was assured the leadership position of Ondo Central Senatorial District and was told to get his candidate for the senatorial seat. His anointed candidate was of course Adedipe as against Akinyelure. Many supported Adedipe who obviously had the blessings of Mimiko and disregarded Akinyelure.
