Former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has formally joined the All Progressives Congress, declaring that his decision was driven by the desire to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in advancing Nigeria’s development.

Mimiko, who governed Ondo State between 2009 and 2016, officially joined the ruling party on Thursday at the APC Secretariat in Ward 7, Ondo West Local Government Area, weeks after resigning from the Peoples Democratic Party.

Speaking during the event, the former governor said he was impressed by some of the ongoing reforms and initiatives under the Tinubu administration, noting that although more work still needs to be done, the country was moving in the right direction.

“There are a lot of good things being done by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government,” Mimiko stated. “Though much more still has to be done, I am coming in to lend my support to ongoing efforts to keep Nigeria on the path of peace, progress and genuine development.”

The former governor particularly praised the Federal Government’s student loan programme under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, popularly known as NELFUND, describing it as a bold effort to expand access to education for Nigerian students.

Mimiko also commended ongoing conversations around state policing, saying the move toward decentralising the police system aligns with his long-standing support for state police.

Receiving the former governor into the APC, the state chairman of the party, Kolawole Babatunde, described Mimiko as “a progressive through and through,” praising his achievements in health, education, and infrastructure during his time in office.

According to Babatunde, Mimiko’s entry into the APC should be seen as a “homecoming,” adding that President Tinubu’s policies and reforms continue to attract progressive-minded Nigerians into the ruling party.

Also speaking at the event, former House of Representatives member, Joseph Akinlaja, said Mimiko’s defection signaled the complete movement of the former governor’s political structure into the APC in Ondo State.

Akinlaja explained that several loyalists of Mimiko had earlier joined the APC with his backing, but expressed satisfaction that the former governor had now officially become a member of the ruling party.

He added that the development would further strengthen support for President Tinubu and boost the APC’s chances in future elections across the state.