Former Ondo State Governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko on Thursday formally defected to the APC, ending weeks of mounting speculation and drawing a definitive close to his long chapter with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mimiko, the two-term governor and prominent political figure popularly known as “Iroko,” was received into the ruling party at his Ward 7 in the Ondo West Local Government Area, Ondo City, by party executives and a large gathering of supporters.
The atmosphere at the secretariat was charged with fanfare as loyalists, party chieftains, and government officials converged to witness what many are already calling the most consequential political shift in Ondo State in recent memory.
Mimiko, who governed Ondo State from 2009 to 2017, had resigned from the PDP in April before announcing his decision to join the ruling party. His departure from the opposition fold had been a long time coming.
He had remained largely inactive in the PDP in recent times, even as many of his political associates had already defected to the APC ahead of the last governorship election in the state.
Speaking at Thursday’s ceremony, the former governor did not attempt to obscure his motivations, tying his defection squarely to his admiration for the Tinubu administration’s reform agenda. “There are a lot of good things being done by the Tinubu-led government, and though much more still needs to be done, I am coming in to lend my support to ongoing efforts to keep Nigeria on the path of peace, progress, and genuine development,” he declared.
He acknowledged the economic challenges facing the country but expressed optimism that the policies and programs of the Tinubu administration are laying a solid foundation for national development. Mimiko also pointed to specific policy areas that resonated with his political convictions.
He commended the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) initiative, describing it as a step toward democratizing access to education, and further expressed support for ongoing efforts to decentralize policing in the country, a move he said aligned with his long-held advocacy for state policing.
The APC received its newest recruit with open arms and barely concealed triumphalism. State Chairman Kolawole Babatunde described the defection as a “homecoming,” saying it reflects the growing appeal of the party in the state. “Dr. Mimiko is a progressive in all ramifications, having recorded remarkable achievements in health, education, and infrastructure. His coming into the APC is a homecoming,” Babatunde said.
He added that the policies of the Tinubu administration are yielding positive results and attracting like-minded Nigerians into the ruling party. For the APC, the optics could scarcely be better, absorbing a figure of Mimiko’s stature and grassroots reach in a state that will be closely watched in the lead-up to the 2027 general elections.
Former House of Representatives member Joseph Iranola Akinlaja described Mimiko’s formal defection as signaling the complete movement of the political structure associated with the former governor into the APC.
“Before now, some of us had moved into the APC mostly with his consent but now feel fully satisfied that he has finally joined us so that we can all contribute to the landslide electoral success of President Tinubu and all the party’s candidates in all subsequent elections,” Akinlaja stated.
Also present at the event were the speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji; commissioner for infrastructure, Olawoye Ayorinde; and former secretary to the state government, Taiwo Fasoranti.
For the PDP, already reeling from a string of high-profile defections across the country, Mimiko’s exit is another blow to its dwindling influence in the South-West.
Political analysts are watching closely to see whether this realignment accelerates further erosion of the opposition’s base in the region as the 2027 election cycle draws nearer.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s defection from the PDP to the ruling APC marks a significant political realignment in Ondo State.
Driven by his stated support for President Tinubu’s reform agenda and re-election bid, Mimiko’s move consolidates a gradual migration of his entire political structure into the ruling party, a development that substantially strengthens the APC’s electoral footing in the South-West ahead of the 2027 general elections, while dealing yet another damaging blow to an already beleaguered opposition.
