I am of the firm belief that this idea that it is the turn of the South, Central or North is very primitive. I think it is the turn of the best candidate that will better the lots of the people. I do not share that philosophy that power must rotate among the senatorial districts or the time for power to go to the South or to the North. There has never been any time that there will be an election that the North or the South will not contest.
Ditto when the Centra was contesting, North and South were in contention. What is important is for us to ask if this is the life we want to live in? When the sea is calm, anyody can hold the mast but in turbulent waters, you need a capable captan to pilot the ship to safety. We are in troubled times in Ondo State. That is why we are running. We know we can change the lots of this state.We have programme that will change the trajectroy of this narration.
That is an intresting question. I am proud to be a Mimiko but I am Dr. Abbas Mimiko. I am a medical doctor. A Psychiatrist by practice, I am a businessman, I am an agroprenuer. I dont know what you mean by asking whether I am running on someone else’s popularity. I grow up in Ondo State. I was born here and raised here. I had my primary education here. I did my secondary education here. I attended the University of Lagos. I practiced in Ondo State for years before I went to the United States of America for my specialist training. I am back to Ondo State, doing my business and farming. Why do I neeed the popularity of anyone to run for office.
He was a great Governor. he has ran his era, his era terminated seven eyars ago. I am my own man. People of Ondo State know me very well. In character, they know me to be a man of intergity. They know me to hands on and a leader who leads from the front.
The Zenith Labour Party was not a contraption from the blues. We sat down some years ago to start a new party that will actually represent social democratic ethos that we say we belive in. I sat there when ZLP was formed. I was part of the formation of the ZLP. It is logical that if I want to run, that will be my choice party.
But the former Governor collapsed ZLP structure into PDP ahead of the 2023 general elections.
That proved the point that I am my own man. I don’t pander to anybody. We were in ZLP together and he moved to the PDP. I remained in ZLP. We are the party that actually represent what our people needs. He doesn’t ask me things like that. We take our independent decisions regarding politic issues. For exxample, in the last presidential election, I was a staunch supporter of President Bola Tinubu, he supported someone else.