Former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko has thrown his weight behind the calls by the Southern governors for a southern President come 2023, just as he denied pact with anyone or group ahead of next year Presidential election.
Mimiko’s position was contained in a statement signed by his media aide, Mr John Paul Akinduro, denying media reports about an alleged pact between him and Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal over Vice President ambition.
According to Mimiko, the permutations are all false and do not represent his interest and position on the political reality of the PDP as Nigeria coasts home to the 2023 election.
Mimiko in the statement said no such meeting was held and so no such proposal could have been considered.
The former governor who said his position aligned with the aspiration of the people of Southern Nigeria rather than having secret meetings as regards purported vice-presidential ambition said he stood by the resolution of the Southern governors.
The statement read: “Inundated with calls from friends and associates about a story of Tuesday 4th of January, 2022, Dr Olusegun Mimiko has denied any meeting to discuss a phantom vice-presidential ambition and some other false permutations as reported in media about his person.
“The permutations are all false and do not represent Mimiko’s interest and position on the political reality of the PDP as Nigeria coasts home to the 2023 election.
“The report that Governor Aminu Tambuwal and Mimiko met in Abuja recently where the decision to pair up as presidential and vice-presidential aspirants were muted is false as no such meeting was held and so no such proposal could have been considered.
“Dr Mimiko is aligned with the aspiration of the people of Southern Nigeria as exemplified by the call of the Southern Governors for a Southern president in the next dispensation and he has not in all his deliberations within Afenifere muted any idea of seeking their support for a VP ambition.
“Above all, Mimiko has made it clear that he is in the PDP to work towards actualising the decision of the majority of party members towards rescuing and rebuilding Nigeria for the good of the people and not any personal, individual agenda,” the statement reads.
The statement further asked: “Is it not curious that the media report, speculative in its entirety, neither quoted any source nor sought confirmation or denial of any of its specious conjectures before publishing?”
Mimiko in conclusion asked Nigerians and PDP members in particular to disregard the report as it it false and conjectural
It will be recalled that the Southern governors led by Rotimi Akeredolu, who doubles as chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, had on three occasions, called for a president of Southern extraction to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
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