The immediate past governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has debunked the rumoured ambition to become the running mate of Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2023 general election.

Mimiko made this known on Tuesday in reaction to a report by a national newspaper that he was being considered as running mate to Tambuwal having dumped Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State because of the rumoured presidential aspiration of former President Goodluck Jonathan who is from the same zone with Governor Wike.

Mimiko, who reacted to the report via a statement by his Media Assistant, Mr. Johnpaul Akinduro, noted that he never met any of the presidential aspirants to be their running mate in the 2023 general election.

The former governor described the report as a “false permutation”, saying such a meeting was never held.

Mimiko added that he aligned with the decision of the southern governors on the need for the zone to produce the next president after the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari next year.

He said: “Dr Mimiko is aligned with the aspiration of the people of Southern Nigeria as exemplified by the call of the Southern Governors for a Southern president in the next dispensation and he has not in all his deliberations within Afenifere muted any idea of seeking their support for a VP ambition.

“Above all, Mimiko has made it clear that he is in the PDP to work towards actualising the decision of the majority of party members towards rescuing and rebuilding Nigeria for the good of the people and not any personal, individual agenda.

“Is it not curious that the report, speculative in its entirety, neither quoted any source nor sought confirmation or denial of any of its specious conjectures before publishing?”

Mimiko further asked Nigerians and PDP members to disregard the report.