Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo has concluded plans to
dump the Labour Party [LP] for Nigeria’s ruling Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, a development that has sparked panic
in the state chapter of the LP.
Mr. Mimiko disclosed this to LP leaders across the state in a
meeting at the Governor’s Office on Friday evening in Akure,
the state capital.
An attendee at the meeting told PREMIUM TIMES that “we
were all shocked when he told us his decision”.
“Of course we know he has been fraternising with Jonathan
and we have no problem with that, but how do we cope with
the original PDP who have always seen us as sworn enemies
since the days of (late) Agagu,” the party leader in a local
government said.
The PDP is the major opposition to the Labour Party in Ondo.
The party’s candidate, Olusola Oke, a former national legal
adviser of the PD,P came second behind Mr. Mimiko in the last
governorship election in the state.
Mr. Mimiko displaced, after a court battle in the aftermath of
the 2007 elections, the late Olusegun Agagu. Mr. Oke is now
believed to be the leader of the PDP in Ondo.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that to convince the attendees at
Friday’s meeting of the need to move to the PDP, Mr. Mimiko
told them of the dwindling revenue accruing to the state.
“He said he needs to join the PDP so as to be able to
negotiate more revenue for Ondo and bring more federal
presence here,” another attendee at the meeting which ended
at about 7:00 p.m. said.
The governor then told his supporters that he would publicly
announce his decision at a mega rally in early September.
Panic among LP supporters
Ondo is the only state in Nigeria governed by the LP.
While Mr. Mimiko told his supporters he had made up his
mind, many of them are said to be uncomfortable with the
decision, particularly because of the bitter rivalry between the
LP and PDP members at the grassroots level in the state.
“Look at Okitipupa and the entire Ondo South, which everyone
knows is the PDP stronghold,” an attendee said. “Are our
people there going to be subservient to or displace the Agagu
people there.”
The source made reference to the recent House of
Representatives bye-election in Ilaje-Ese Odo constituency
which INEC declared inconclusive due to the chaos and
intense rivalry between the PDP and LP supporters and their
candidates. The constituency is part of the Ondo South
senatorial district.
“Rather than join PDP, many of our people oin those areas
would prefer to join the APC [All Progressives Congress]. It’s
just that the APC in Ondo is almost comatose,” a Labour
Party leader in Ondo South, said.
Mimko speaks
When contacted on Mr. Mimiko’s plans to dump the Labour
Party, his spokesperson, Eni Akinsola, confirmed that the
governor had been under ‘immense pressure’ to join the PDP.
He confirmed that the governor had been meeting with his
supporters in the past one week on the issue.
“He left PDP because of injustice,” Mr. Akinsola said, alluding
to Mr. Mimiko’s membership of the PDP prior to the 2007
election. “He’s been discussing with his supporters across the
state on his next line of action.”
Mr. Akinsola also hinted that the 2015 support for President
Goodluck Jonathan may have influenced Mr. Mimiko’s
decision, saying, “He’s never hidden his support for President
Goodluck Jonathan.”
The spokesperson said Mr. Mimiko would make his decision
public ‘very soon.’

https://m.premiumtimesng.com/news/167162-‎panic-in-labour-party-as-governor-mimiko-concludes-plan-to-join-pdp.html

This shouldn't come as a surprise to many. He has been seen publicly romancing the PDP for so long. I think he's just fed up being a lone ranger plus he needs a better platform to take his ambition higher.