Alhaji Ali Olanusi has travelled out of the country perhaps to evade the service of the notice of impeachment on him by Ondo State House of Assembly. But that may not save him as the lawmakers may resort to substituted service through the newspapers or paste the notice at his official quarters.
Truth is Governor Olusegun Mimiko is baying for his head. Alhaji Olanusi has little or no chance of survival, with 20 of the 26-member assembly already filed behind the impeachment. It’s a matter of time before Olanusi becomes an ex-deputy governor.
How relationship between the duo became so degenerated to this point is difficult to fathom. Recall that both Mimiko and Olanusi had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party together to form Labour Party in the state in 2006. Olanusi was then PDP chairman in the state. The move to unseat Olanusi had begun a long time ago, but he was lucky to stay this long in office.
But Olanusi needs to hold his head high in these dying days of his sojourn in office. Why? He had earlier won Round 1 in the battle between him and the governor. He had succeeded in giving Governor Mimiko a bloodied nose. Olanusi made his move when it was most painful. It was an unkindest cut.
He defected from PDP to the All Progressives Congress two days to the March 28 presidential election when Mimiko, as President Jonathan’s Campaign Coordinator in the South-west, was busy canvassing votes for the president. And what is more, the APC candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, whom Olanusi supported, trounced the president in Ondo, the Coordinator’s state.
