Mimiko talks tough: ‘INEC’S substitution of Jegede with Jimoh Ibrahim is a joke from hell . It will not stand’

The lingering battle over the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State in the November 26 election between Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) and Mr Jimoh Ibrahim takes a twist as Governor Olusegun Mimiko talks tough, saying the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) substitution of Jegede with Ibrahim will not stand. In this interview, Mimiko also speaks on the insinuation that he visited President Muhammadu Buhari to lobby him to defect to the All Progressives Party (APC), the ruling party at the federal level. In the last couple of weeks, there have been issues in the PDP family in Ondo State. What is the situation and the way forward? People are itching to hear from you as the leader of the party in the state. You are quite aware of the bizarre development in the politics of Nigeria, and in the politics of this state in the last three weeks. If you will recall that Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) of the PDP was elected in an open, free primary monitored by INEC and all the security agencies. But we woke up on October 27 to find that his name had been substituted with the name of somebody who, as of that time, could not lay claim to being a member of the party and the primary from which he purportedly emerged was conducted outside Ondo State, specifically in Ibadan, and neither INEC, SSS nor any of the security agencies was there to witness what happened. So there is no question about the fact that what happened on October 27 was a contrived conspiracy of sort because the decision of INEC cannot find comfort in justice, in principle, in law, in morality. Ordinarily, in many other climes, there could have been violent uprising, but in this state, the people stood up to make it absolutely clear that, that will not stand, but that we must ensure that we do not truncate the peace that we have enjoyed in this state in the last eight years. It's been a lot of investments all the way, being able to engender the level of peace that we have put in place in this state and I'm particularly appreciative of the people that, inspite of this provocative conspiracy, they have not in anyway truncated the peace in the land. After this, I believe the proper thing to do was to seek redress through the constitutional channels. Redress has been sought by the candidate himself, Eyitayo Jegede, by the PDP and major stakeholders. We have no doubt in our minds that justice will be done, because like I said, this impunity will not stand. I want to assure our people in Ondo State, especially the PDP, now I am talking as a leader of the party in the state, I want to tell you that we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that they get justice. Let me again appeal to our people that while they demonstrate their resistance to this injustice, we must ensure that we keep the peace. It is the peace that God has enabled us to emplace in this state that has engendered the development that we have enjoyed in the last eight years. I beg our people to remain peaceful. Weeks away from the election, possibly for the umpteenth time, one will ask, what is the way forward and what hope do you have for your candidate, what hope do you have for the people? Let me repeat what I have said , the injustice will not stand. Eyitayo Jegede will contest election on the platform of PDP. I'm talking as a leader of the PDP in this state and also with what is on ground in terms of what Eyitayo is bringing on board. I don't have any doubt in my mind that Eyitayo Jegede will be the next governor of the state. About a forthnight ago, you met with President Buhari following which there have been the insinuation that you have gone there to parley with him, possibly to cross over to the other side of the divide. You know that in politics, conspiracy theories abound. Let me bring us back to what happened on October 27. The substitution of Eyitayo by INEC was a joke from hell. You live in this state, you saw