Mimiko: Me, join APC? I only discussed security issues with Buhari

Olusegun Mimiko, Ondo state governor, says he is not considering leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking with state house correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Mimiko said he only met the president to discuss the security situation in his state.

He explained that he recieved Buhari at the Akure airport on Saturday because it is his part of his responsibilities.

“This is my second visit to the villa since this crisis in our party started. Like I said, as the chief security officer of my state, if there is any credible threat to security, I owe the responsibility to Nigerians to apprise Mr President of what is going on in the state,” he said.

“Mr President was in my state to campaign for his party. I extended to him the courtesies of receiving him at the airport and seeing him off as president of the federal republic of Nigeria, not as APC.

“I understand that people have speculated that this means I am going to APC. There is nothing of such. I only extended him normal courtesies that protocol demand. As a governor and chief security officer of the state, if the president is visiting, no matter the party he belongs, it is only appropriate for me to extend the courtesies to him. That was what I did in Akure.

“And I have also come to brief him about the security situation in my state.”

On October 28, Mimiko met with the president after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised Jimoh Ibrahim as the PDP candidate for the Ondo governorship election.

The governor is a member of the Ahmed Makarfi faction of the PDP,  which picked Eyitayo Jegede as its candidate for the November 26 poll.