Labour Party rejects Mimiko’s return

The national chairman of Labour Party, Mike Omotosho, has accused former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, of attempting to destabilise the party, vowing that his attempt to return to the party would be resisted.

The party also said it had no candidates in the forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti state which is scheduled to hold on July 14.

Mr Omotosho made this disclosure on Wednesday during press conference in Abuja, titled “Once Bitten, Twice Shy – Nigerian Workers Reject Plans by Olusegun Mimiko To Return to Labour Party”.

Mr Mimiko, in his letter of resignation which he addressed to the PDP in the state on Wednesday, said his reasons for resigning from the party were “personal” and “well thought-out.”

“I hereby with utmost humility inform you of my decision to resign my membership of the PDP with effect from today, June 13, 2018 for some well thought-out personal reasons,” the former two term governor, said.

The medical doctor-turned politician came into office in 2009 on the platform of the LP and was re-elected in 2012 but moved the entire structure of the party to the PDP on the exigencies of the 2015 presidential election.

The LP chairman, Mr Omotosho, said the sole purpose of Mr Mimiko’s re-approach to the Labour party is to use the workers’ party to launder his sagging political image.

“Nigeria would recall that Dr. Mimiko abandoned the Labour party for the People’s Democratic party a few days to Labour Party’s October 2015 National Convention,” he said.

Mr Omotosho also said “the Nigeria Labour Congress wishes to disown and condemn recent posturing and proclamation by some politicians in Ekiti state”.

“Workers and the Ekiti electorate should not allow themselves to be hoodwinked by the antics of political impostors,” he said.

He said all political aspirants in the Labour party are requested to deal only with the screening committee of the party.

Similarly, the president of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, said the Labour Party was building a very strong democratic culture from the grassroot.

“Labour Party is made up of market women, workers and civil society.

We are the owners of the party and we must give directions to the party so that nobody will just wake up and say they are leaders of the party.”

According to him, the party is against the attitude of people who will just come and use the party and leave when they have found their level.

The president said it was wrong for people to use the name of the party without even the party officials being aware.

Mr Wabba said the party was built on ideological perspective while noting that it was also building a democratic culture to wade opportunities off.

“So we are warning people against fraudsters. This is a disclaimer, so anybody that does that does that on his own,” he concluded.