The battle for leadership in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State seems to have worsened as the immediate past governor, Olusegun Mimiko has been dragged to court over his status as the leader of the party.
Mimiko, a two term governor recently rejoined the party he had dumped for Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) after four governors of the PDP visited him in his house in Ondo, Ondo West Local Government area of the state.
A Chieftain of the party,Bode Obanla filed a suit at the state High Court to bar the former governor from assuming the leadership of the party having dumped the party when members needed him to lead.
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Through his counsel, Messrs Kalu Kalu Agu and Oladimeji Oyesusi, the claimant is seeking a declaration that Mimiko by virtue of Chapter two Article 17 of the Constitution of the PDP as amended is an ordinary member of the party.
The major grouse of the plaintiff is that Mimiko on December 8, 2006 abandoned his post as Minister for Housing, Lands and Urban Development in the Government of President Olusegun Obasanjo, resigned from the PDP and decamped to Labour Party (LP), upon which he contested for the Governorship seat of the State and won.
Obanla said Mimiko who has not contested election under the PDP cannot rejoin the party and assume the position of a leader in the party.
The court is yet to fix a date for the hearing of the suit.
