Ondo’s former governor Olusegun Mimiko, says he will not respond to the various allegations levelled against him by current governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu until the governorship campaigns begin.
Mimiko said this on Sunday in Ondo town when he hosted the Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, at his residence.
Ajayi had defected to the Mimiko-backed Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in the hope of winning the party’s nomination ahead of the October 10 election.
Akeredolu, who belongs to the All Progressives Congress (APC), had earlier pilloried Mr Mimiko at a campaign stop, while inaugurating four projects completed by his administration at the Agagu University of Science and Technology (OSAUSTECH), Okitipupa, accusing his predecessor of pouring money into white elephants.
The governor also criticized Mr Mimiko for the plethora of abandoned projects across the state, describing them as a disgrace to governance and a disservice to the people.
However, Mr Mimiko said he would take the high road and not respond to Mr Akeredolu’s taunts and barrage of verbal attacks. He said that it was not yet time to compare his government with that of his successor.
Mr Mimiko said that he believed that any party or government that would not meet the needs of the masses at the point of their yearnings was not progressive.
According to him, the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) is the only party that loves helping the poor to achieve their dreams.
Mimiko described the deputy governor as a seasoned politician, added that ” all his good and bad sides we know, we do not expect surprises.”
He also thanked Ajayi for joining the ZLP, describing him and his followers as true progressives. Mr Ajayi said he joined ZLP not only to contest the gubernatorial election, but to help promote good governance in the state.