Some members of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), a political
machinery that was the brain child of the former vice president, Atiku
Abubakar, have revealed how the embattled governor of Ondo state,
Olusegun Mimiko, bribed leaders of the party to endorse President
Goodluck Jonathan.
The group, which has members across the Southwest states of the country
through its leader, Bode Ajewole claimed that their decision to endorse
Jonathan was hinged on the position of Jonathan to implement the
recommendations of last year’s National Conference immediately he is
reelected.
But speaking with a SR shortly after the purported endorsement, the
members of the group confirmed they were bribed through the leadership
of the group to endorse President Jonathan.
“Quote me anywhere, Governor Mimiko gave us money through our leaders to
endorse President Goodluck Jonathan for second term. I know you are
very inquisitive and eager to know more but I won’t tell you the amount I
was given but I can tell you it’s a bribe”, one of the members said.
Some of them, who spoke under condition of anonymity, disclosed to
Sahara Reporters that they were fully mobilized from other Southwest
states to travel to Akure, with all expenses paid, to carry out the
endorsement, and that their leaders received a huge sum of money from
Governor Mimiko for the job.
A woman and member of the PDM from Ekiti State also disclosed that she
received a text message from the publicist of the group to mobilize
members to Akure for the endorsement. Thereafter they were paid cash
for the visit, she said.
“Although leaders of the group have been telling us that there would be a
meeting in Akure with powerful politicians but they never revealed that
the meeting would be with governor Mimiko to endorse President Jonathan
but this morning I received a text message to mobilize some members to
Akure for a Press conference and that was how I got to know that it was
President Jonathan they want to endorse”, she revealed.
“I received N30,000 for the visit, although a friend told me, I was
cheated because I came all the way from Ogun state in free vehicle but
at least I didn’t lose, I still gained from them”, another member said.
Asked if he would surely vote Jonathan in the next week presidential election, he said “
My
friend, I don’t know the people in other Southwest states but for [us]
in Ogun State Jonathan is a failure because if I vote him, my wife would
kill me, she dislike Jonathan [more] than anything. The man has done
nothing in the Southwest and he wants [our] vote.
“We are just collecting this money because it’s our money. We shall keep
on deceiving him and his cohorts like Mimiko, we know that General
Buhari is the only change for now that we need”, he declared.
