Governor Olusegun
Mimiko of Ondo State yesterday described the victory of President
Goodluck Jonathan in the last Saturday’s election as a call to duty.
Mr. Mimiko in a
congratulatory message sent to the president through his chief press
secretay, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi, said the victory was well deserved.
While defending the
choice of Mr. Jonathan by the Labour Party, Mr. Mimiko said the people
of the state and Nigerians at large stand a better chance of gaining
more from Mr. Jonathan given his experience first as a deputy governor,
governor, vice president, and then president. Added to this, he said, is
his rising above his party to become a true statesman by allowing the
conduct of a truly free and fair election during the National Assembly
election.
“My President, I
want to, on behalf of the good people of Ondo State, congratulate you on
this well deserved victory and the outpour of love and goodwill from
fellow Nigerians who discountenanced religious, ethnicity, and other
base sentiments to vote overwhelmingly for you.
“Your election is a
call to duty and Nigerians have spoken and given you their implicit
support believing that you are capable of taking us to greater heights
as a nation. The problems of the nation are enormous no doubt, but they
are surmountable and with our support and your able leadership, we shall
all smile at the end of the day,” Mr. Mimiko said.
The governor said
the action of the electorate and the outcome of the election based on
the sanctity of one-man one-vote have shown the determination of
Nigerians that never again would imposition of candidates against their
choice be the order of the day.
The People’s
Democratic Party in the state also thanked the people of the state for
their support and vote for Mr. Jonathan during the elections on
Saturday.
The party, however,
took a serious exception to an alleged claim that the Labour Party was
responsibile for the president’s victory in this state.
