Otunba Omoniyi Omodara was the former chairman of Akure North Local Government Area under Chief Adefarati. He was a Commissioner in OSOPADEC and the immediate past commissioner for Transport in Ondo state before his exit from the Mimiko led administration and his former party, the Labour Party. Tope Adebayo and Kayode Mogbojuri met him.
You are an experienced politician, how will you describe Ondo state politics now compare to what it used to be in the past, has it developed? 
First of all, I started politics during the DPN era when Akure North was carved out of the old Akure Local Government Area. I was once a Chairman of Akure North local government, a commissioner in OSOPADEC where resigned because of the aspiration of forming the Labor Party. We thank God that thereafter, we won the election and I was made a Commissioner for Transport in Ondo state. Back to your question, I can say that there are some little improvements especially. We have the best administration during the time of Baba Ajasin and since the time of that administration, there is no administration that has moved close to the legacy laid by the late sage. You know what we had then, Owena Bank. Owena Motel, Oluwa glass, Nirowi and host of others like that. Instead of us having more, we have been selling them by the so called new generation politicians. Baba Adefarati made a very decisive move by building a University at Akungba-Akoko then, he established OSOPADEC to take care of the people of the coastal communities, Alpha 3D company in Ikare Akoko. When Adefarati was in government, everyone was doing fine not like the situation that we are experiencing now.
As a former chieftain of the Labor Party, you had a dream for creating a mass movement that led to the formation of the Party. Will you say those dreams were achieved or the Government is working at variance with the dream that gave birth to the Party?
It is unfortunate that our thought had come to nil because I have the opportunity of working very close with Dr. Mimiko. We have been together since 1992 and when he was the SSG, he can give whatever he had that was how the slogan “gbasibe” came up as at then.  I thought his conducts were borne out of sincerity but with the latest manifestation of his real character, judging from his new- found attitude at the moment, it is unfortunate and regrettable. You cannot measure a king by his qualification or age but by the supporters and advisers around him. Labor Party started having problem because of one man called the friend of the governor Mr. Soji Bello. He is the architect of the crisis in the Party. Seventy percent of the reasons why I left Labor Party were because of Soji Bello and his wicked alliance with the governor. The governor encourages him to peddle wicked and unfounded rumours .  He is the de facto governor whatever he says is the final. He wants everyone to be parading his house and he specializes in spreading false information.
Another issue was during the last general elections the governor was supporting a particular candidate for the House of Representatives while I was supporting Honorable Abegunde Ifedayo. As God will have it, Abegunde won the primaries with twenty-one votes to ten votes. During the general election, I thank God for the overwhelming victory of Abegunde. But can you imagine, when we were going for Abegude’s campaign at Ogbese the chief of staff to the governor called me and told me not to go for the campaign and my response was that the worst they can do is to remove me as a commissioner and I promised them that I will go all out to ensure Abena wins the election and thank God it was so.
As a former commissioner under Labor Party, did you have a conducive atmosphere to initiate and mid-wife projects to the advantages of the masses?
Yes, this issue of Motor Park along Ondo road I sent my officers to Akwa Ibom and they came with the drawing and everything and I went to Mr. Governor with a proposal and he agreed. Secondly, this floating jetty that was constructed at Igbokoda was an idea initiated by me and lastly the towing vehicle was my idea. The traffic warders were also an idea that I initiated. In all these area I do not have problem with Mr. Governor because I never struggled with him on implementation. Mine is to generate good idea and see to its acceptance.
Where and when did the problem started?
The problem started through Soji Bello he has been spreading false information all along even when I was working seriously he will be telling Mr. Governor that I am meeting Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose the A CN chairperson and Tinubu . Let me tell you as at the time they were saying it I have never met Tinubu. I only see him on television or read about him in thenewspaper, even Mrs. Anifowose, I have never met her until I came to A CN. The saddest part of this is that Mr. Governor will not ask you some of these frivolous allegations and when I discovered that the relationship is becoming sour, I lost interest in the whole process. Most especially, when he dissolved the executive you can ask any of the commissioners then immediately he did the dissolution he rose and was just going like that and I called him and told him that he cannot go like that since we were not fighting, is it too hard for you to go round and have handshake with us? After all you appointed us and in the same vein, you have the right to hire and fire and what is more, we are member of the same party. Grudginly, he came back and later had handshake with us.
As someone that has worked with different politicians and with your public and private sector experience how will you describe Mimiko’s style of leadership? 
Like I told you, I thought the way he was behaving when he was commissioner and SSG will be transferred to the way of governance when he became the governor. As at now he has deviated hundred percent from what we expected of him and this is as a result of lack of better advisers.
Don’t you think that as a leader he should know the kind of advice to take? And if a person of his caliber takes an advice and start behaving funny don’t you think something is wrong somewhere?
When I was the chairman of Akure North local government, I have twelve councilors atimes we disagree on principle or based on public interest because public interest must be the utmost in governance. Upbringing is equally another factor as we are all brought up in different ways and the idea of playing to the gallery is another factor. Ondo state people let me tell you know what they are doing you can’t play them anyhow. I repeat it is this Soji Bello the so call friend of the governor that runs this administration and by the grace of God this state will be delivered from them very soon.
Since you left the Labour Party there have been crisis in the Party especially in Oba-ile, Akure Northe Local government Area. Is it because of your exit or the crisis had been there before?  
There were no crises as at the time I was in the party but immediately I left the party, some funny things started happening. Find out I am very much on ground not in oba-ile alone but in the whole of Akure North. I want to challenge Mr. Governor to call for local government election today if I will not deliver Akure North for A CN.
We had it that the governor boasted that he has the joker of election up his sleeves …..
What type of joker? Joker only works when people like you that is it. There is nothing call joker it is a matter of public interest. When we were in the trenches, a lot o people made sacrifice and during the voting, Dr.Mimiko only voted and left , the next time he came to Akure was when we were filling papers at the tribunal and the third time was when Nabaruma gave the judgment and he was in A&T hotel. He did not know the effort we were putting in place through the likes of Dr. Olaiya Oni, prince Amodeni, Hon. Saka Lawal. Let him come and repeat that joker he believes in again by November 26, 2012.
People are defecting from LP to A CN. Why A CN is it because of the name or the manifesto?
In the southwest, it is A C N everywhere except Ondo state. In Lagos state where A CN is in government, the party is performing excellently well ditto for Oyo, Osun and other places. This so call labor party is only within Ondo state and we are not feeling its effect. It has become a tradition already in Ondo state that you spend your four years and go. Even if you lay claim to have laid asphalt in the sky, it is the four years and you must leave.
Is it because Dr, Mimiko is an apostle of single term that people are saying he must leave?
Mimiko was our captain that said no to Baba Adefarati for second term, he equally led us to clamor for Agagu’s exit. Nothing is special about Mimiko that made him deserve second term. He said he is constructing road, move out see what he is doing in Oba ile, Fiwase, Arakale just to mention a few. With the drainage they claim to be doing at Oba-ile, people can no longer pass. For the past three years, no capital project has been completed and commissioned. The so call markets are the work of the local government. I was in the local government before and I built market stores across the local government. Now he says he is building ultra-modern market what is ultra modern in the market? In the process, he has introduced direct labor a process of siphoning money and people are hungry. Look at what happened in December, people were hungry as the money that was meant for the people were concentrated in few hands.
How much of relationship do you still keep with Afenifere judging from your background in politics?
For now, I am only close to Baba Adegbonmire and chief Olokundoro. Baba fasonranti remains my father forever, chief Olu Falaye is a farther to me as well. They are all respected members of the society. My style of politics is that we have to respect elders, I believe so much in the elders.
People believe picking a candidate will pose a threat in A CN as a chieftain of the party, how do you think the party will manage this?
This cannot be a problem because we all saw what happened in all the states where A CN is holding sway as the ruling party in government. We have credible leaders that are sincere that will pick credible candidate for us and whoever they pick will become our candidate. Whoever emerges will be my candidate and I will work for him with determination.
What is your advice for Ondo state people especially in this peculiar year 2012?
Ondo state people are preparing their minds and they know where they are going and I want to appeal that come November 26 2012, we should vote peacefuly and go back home or wait peacefully to monitor their votes.  It is one man one vote.