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The Ondo State
governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has foreclosed the possibility of the
opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party defeating the Labour Party in the
state in next year’s election.

His comments came barely 72 hours after the ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo-led South West rally in Ondo State capital, Akure.

The governor, who
spoke at Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government area when
about 10,000 members of PDP, AC, ANPP and other parties decamped to
Labour Party, said the mood at the Igbokoda rally was clearly different
from the crowd in Akure, which showed signs of being a rented one.

“The show by the
rented crowd has once more shown that Labour Party is waxing stronger
by the day in Ondo State. It is a case of a dead dog and a living
tiger. What threat can a dead dog pose to a ferocious living tiger?
Absolutely nothing!

“When PDP was alive
in Ondo State, Labour Party defeated it silly; not to talk of now that
they are already in the grave,” he said.

He assured the
people that the Ondo State University of Science and Technology
(OSUSTECH) will take off in due course, as the position of the Vice
Chancellor and other Principal Officers would soon be advertised.

Mr. Mimiko, who
also promised to complete all inherited projects and initiate new ones,
said the resuscitation of moribund industries in the riverine areas is
the priority of his administration to tackle youth unemployment.

“Now that Ondo
State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) has been
strenghtened through the passage and signing into law of its
Appropriation Bill, you will soon begin to see them in action. As a
matter of fact, the rate of development will be more rapid than
expected,” he said.

Meanwhile, a
pressure group known as Progressive Coalition (PC) in Ondo State
yesterday announced its decision to fuse into the ruling Labour
Party(LP), which they described as a progressive party.

Coalition of progressives

The group, at a
news conference in Akure, said it decided to move into the ruling party
in order to make Labour Party more formidable during the 2011 general
elections.

Its chairman, Niran
Jogbodo, who addressed reporters, said membership of the group cuts
across the five political parties in the state, adding that they had
resolved to work harmoniously with the ruling LP to spread dividends of
democracy to the grassroots.

The group, which
came into existence during the struggle to reclaim the gubernatorial
mandate of the LP candidate and incumbent governor, Mr. Mimiko, added
that progressives have decided to work with the present administration
in the state because of its giant strides.

“For these and many
other reasons, all progressives across all parties except the PDP, have
fused with the LP. The official ceremony and rally will take place next
Thursday and it will serve as the official burial ceremony of the PDP
in this state,” Mr. Jogbodo said.

“Sustaining the
current developmental efforts and to join hands to block conservative
politicians from taking over this state again. Ondo is a progressive
state, and conservatism has always been bad news for us.”

The group also
condemned the statement credited to Mr. Obasanjo that the PDP would
capture Ondo State in 2011, saying such statement was malicious and
inciting.

“We will not allow
an intruder to disturb our peace. We are not animals to be captured,
neither are we criminals nor do we intend to be prisoners of war,” Mr.
Jogbodo said.

“He should go back to his Ota farm to capture grasshoppers and
rabbits, and not civilised people of Ondo State. We must tell him that
this state is peopled with men of integrity, and not those who play god
on other human beings.”