The greatest political blunder ever committed by Dr Olusegun Mimiko, a former governor of Ondo State, was his insistence on fielding someone from Ondo Central, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, like himself, as the candidate of the PDP in the 2016 governorship election in the state.
He paid dearly for the misfortune which plummeted his political capital.
I am of the strong conviction that had he supported someone from Ondo South or even North in the election, Governor Akeredolu might not have won the 2016 gubernatorial poll.
Dr Mimiko overrated himself then and got his fingers burnt seriously for the utter disdain and disregard he had for a sense of fairness and balancing in the political equation of the state. The rest, as they say, is history.
Another political minus he recorded was leaving the PDP for the ZLP in the build-up to the 2020 governorship election in the state.
A politician in need of intentional redemption should not have committed that grave error of becoming a fringe player in the scheme of things. Again, he recorded a miserable loss.
With his reported rejoining the PDP again; a man who has lost so much political capital, I hope he has learnt some valuable lessons and is willing to make amends where necessary.
In terms of what he is bringing to the table, well, I must be honest, the Iroko of yore is no longer the Iroko of today. So much water has passed under the bridge and he must therefore thread with caution where he used to browbeat everyone into line in those days when he had power and glory. Power has changed hands.
In all honesty, he has the name but no longer has the power and command he once had in the past. He must stoop to conquer otherwise, it may just be another path to his political Golgotha.
A word is enough for the wise.
As for the new alagbara supposedly in charge of the party, I admonish him to learn from the fall of those before him who arrogated son much to themselves. History stands decidedly against them today.
Power is about give and take; compromise here and there. Sometimes individual interests will have to be supplanted for the overall benefit of the party (group).
Again, a word is enough for the wise.
How I wish I had the luxury of time to write an expansive essay on this issue. Just maybe.
