The Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has blamed the outgoing governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko for failure of the party to win last Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

The Sheriff-led National Working Committee (NWC) said it met to review the state of the party and came to a conclusion that the script was written in 2013, when Mimiko returned to PDP and the party’s stalwarts he met quit.

Addressing newmen on Monday, on Sheriff’s behalf in Abuja, the deputy national chairman for the faction, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh said if PDP members like ‎Oke had not left PDP for AD and Mimiko managed leadership sportsmanly, PDP would have won the election convincingly.

He argued that impunity and lack of respect for the PDP Constitution and the rule of law were the major problems that led to the party’s failure in the Edo and Ondo States governorship elections.

“In the election, APC scored 244,842 votes while PDP scored 150,380 and AD scored 126,889 votes. It is a fact that the AD votes belong to PDP and the simple arithmetic shows why PDD lost; our votes went to Oke and AD.

“When Mimiko returned to the PDP his fellow Governors appealed to him to allow for harmonization but he refused. All the PDP members led by Olusola Oke left the PDP for him. In choosing a candidate to succeed him, he did not allow the PDP members to buy forms. He mainly anointed Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) who was returned unopposed.

“Party members cried to the high heavens that Jegede is from the Central Zone where Mimiko hails from. Their cries fell on deaf ears. On the other hand, the authentic primary was conducted where six participants were involved and Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim emerged. ‎Jimoh hails from the South. But alas Mimiko will not allow him carry the party flag,” the Sheriff group said.