Former Ondo State governor Olusegun Mimiko has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress. He's backing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's 2027 re-election bid.
Mimiko completed his party switch on Thursday at APC headquarters in Ward 7, Ondo West Local Government Area. His resignation from the PDP came just weeks earlier.
Between 2009 and 2016, Mimiko governed Ondo State for two terms. He cited Tinubu's development, education and security reforms as reasons for his move.
"There are a lot of good things being done by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government," Mimiko told party members. "Though much more still needs to be done, I am coming in to lend my support."
According to him, the administration's policies can steer Nigeria toward peace and genuine development. He particularly praised two initiatives on the federal agenda.
First on his list was the student loan scheme under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund. He also backed ongoing conversations about state policing arrangements.
Both programmes represent progressive thinking, Mimiko insisted. He believes they deserve full political backing to succeed.
Ondo State APC Chairman Kolawole Babatunde welcomed the former governor warmly. He called Mimiko "a progressive through and through."
Babatunde noted that Mimiko's entry amounted to a homecoming. The party chairman suggested this signals deeper political shifts in Ondo.
Former House member Joseph Akinlaja also attended the ceremony. He predicted Mimiko's defection would bring his entire political structure into the APC ahead of future state elections.
