In the transportation sector, massive developments have been engendered in rail, road and air transport infrastructure. We have also seen some progress in the health, education, housing, MSMSEs and indeed many other sectors of the economy. These efforts of the Jonathan Presidency are yielding results. They need deepening and sustenance and we are inclined to be part of the glorious future that we envisage. At any event, one thing that Nigeria’s political history has demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt is that the nation has always moved in the direction of a two-party system. The current dispensation has thrown up the PDP and the fledgling APC. Smaller parties are thus constrained at operating only at the fringe of the political process with all the restrictions thereto for greater political involvement and action. Historically, every attempt to build a third force in this bipolar environment has not only been quite expensive but actually met with muted success. What is more, the argument is unassailable that the two party dominant system has always worked to enhance national unity and facilitated the process of nation-building as all key players are invariably compelled to work within either of the two dominant parties without regard to religious, regional and ethnic specificities. Aligning with either of the two dominant political forces in the current dispensation is, therefore, in the circumstances, the correct democratic position to take at this historical juncture. [eap_ad_2] The two critical poles emergent in the political geography of the nation today have been with distinct tendencies and orientations. While there is noticeable effort to widen the space for internal democracy in one, the reverse seems to be the case in the other. It must be pointed out that this tendency at democratic governance was one reason that made the PDP so attractive, and accounted for our reason to take its membership, in 2003.
Unfortunately at some point in the party’s history, that room for democracy got greatly conscripted. Thus, some eight years ago, when we had need to run for office and the space for internal democracy within PDP had considerably shrank, we chose to leave, but then, not to align with the then emergent opposition party in the land, the ACN. Rather, we chose to move away from both and pick up Labour Party, a party that was quite modest in its aspirations for national elective offices and completely unknown in Ondo State where we wanted to run for office. Precisely on December 14, 2006, we publicly announced LP as our choice of platform. To the glory of God, four months later, in the April 14, 2007 election, we got the mandate of our people to govern Ondo State. Although our election was stolen by the political tendency in power in Abuja at the time, thanks to a judiciary that continues to be profoundly alert to its duty in a democracy, we managed to retrieve our mandate two years later.
Today, just barely one year into our second term in office, it is obvious that we do not have any office to run for either now or in 2015. Yet, we feel compelled to join hands with the tendency that is aboard today in the PDP, led by a President that is as focused as he is patriotic, a team that has demonstrated so much promise in its commitment to democracy without which the challenges facing our nation cannot be overcome. And as someone who is positioned today by providence to speak for the people of Ondo State and our collaborators and admirers across the nation, I do not have any doubt whatsoever in my mind that the interest of our people in Ondo State, the South West Zone and that of Nigeria too, will be better served in the PDP in the evolving political configuration in our nation.
Our immediate target is to help the process of getting President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan elected. We hope to be part of a process of creating, especially in the South West, a solid and robust platform of involvement in the election of the President, governors and legislators and post election governance structure which will help to engender rapid socio-economic development.
It is in the light of the foregoing that I, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, following extensive consultations across the land, today formally announce the decision of members of National Assembly from the LP in Ondo State, members of the LP in the Ondo State House of Assembly, members of the State Executive Council and indeed all those who share our aspirations, to join the PDP.