Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has granted Amnesty to 14 prisoners serving different jail terms in Ondo State. The Prisoners have been discharged from prison.
The governor’s gesture was in line with the power conferred on him by section 212 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The statement said the 14 who have all served portions of their term were granted amnesty on the ground of good conduct, adding that the gesture is in exercise of the governor’s power to grant prerogative of mercy to convicts as conferred by the constitution of the country.
It further mentioned that the governor is empowered to pardon, free, grant respite or substitute severe punishment with lesser one as form of amnesty for convicts.
Dr. Olusegun Mimiko competed in gubernatorial elections on April 14, 2007, against the incumbent Olusegun Agagu and lost the contest in April 2007 according to the result released by the Independent Electoral Commission INEC. Mimiko contested this decision at the election tribunal and Agagu lost office on February 23, 2009 following an AppealCourt ruling which cited irregularities in the 2007 election, and was replaced by Mimiko as governor. Mimiko is currently the first and only member of the Labour Party to win gubernatorial office in Nigeria.
Governor Olusegun Mimiko won the election on October 20, 2012 enabling him to continue in office for a second term making him the first Governor in Ondo State to win a second term election.Mimiko’s victory was contested by the candidate of the ACN – Rotimi Akeredolu, the candidate of the PDP – Olusola Oke and the candidate of the CPC – Olusoji Ehinlanwo
In October 2012, Mimiko stood as the Labour Party candidate for Nigeria’s Ondo State and polled the highest votes in the elections. The Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko on Thursday October 2, 2014 officially decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the Labour Party. He and his supporters were received back to the fold by the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, Senate President, David Mark, Deputy National Chairman, Uche Secondus and top party men at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
On October 2nd he officially left the labour party for peoples democratic party.
