Osun rerun: APC, PDP battle for Omisore’s allegiance

Ahead of the Thursday rerun Osun state election, the leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress and opposition People’s Democratic Party have claimed Iyiola Omisore has pledged his allegiance to them.

Omisore, who is the flag bearer of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), was third in the election declared inconclusive by INEC. The SDP candidate polled 128,049 votes as the PDP’s candidate polled the highest votes followed by the APC’s candidates in the poll held on Saturday.

Adeleke polled 254,698 votes, 353 votes more than his closest rival, Gboyega Oyetola of the APC.

The margin was, however, less than the 3,498 votes in the polling units where voting was cancelled.

Consequently, the Returning Officer for the election, Professor Joseph Afuape, declared the poll inconclusive and declared a rerun in seven polling units, three polling units in Orolu, two polling units in Ife South, one polling unit in Ife North and one polling unit in Osogbo, were voting were cancelled.

Although, Omisore stands no chance to be elected governor after Thursday’s supplementary poll, his support remains crucial in the rerun as there is a total of three polling units at stake for the APC and PDP in Ife, where Omisore hails from.

The two major contenders to succeed Rauf Aregbesola of APC after eight years of rule, to convince the Ife-born politician to support the PDP, the Senate President Bukola Saraki, who also heads the party’s 85-member governorship campaign council in the state, met with Omisore on Monday.

Saraki after the meeting declared that Omisore has agreed to work with the PDP.

“We have agreed to work together because our goals are the same. We all want good governance in Osun State. Over the next 24 hours, we will work out the details,” Saraki tweeted shortly after the meeting on Monday.

Less than 24 hours after meeting with Saraki, Omisore recieved the APC delegation led by the party chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, governor-elect of Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Information Lai Mohammed, Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, among others.

On Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for the Information ministry, Joseph Mutah, sent a message to journalists that Omisore had agreed to work with APC.

“The SDP candidate in last Saturday’s Governorship Election in Osun State, Chief Iyiola Omisore, has agreed to work with the APC in Thursday’s rerun.

“The deal was sealed after a meeting between Chief Omisore and an APC Team led by Chairman Adams Oshiomhole in Osogbo early Wednesday,” Mr Mutah said in the short message accompanied by photos from the meeting.

This is coming after Omisore on Monday disclosed he had given his “programmes to both APC and PDP.” He said: “My programme is payment of salaries and pensions. Good governance is what is important to me. Anyone between the two that will do that will get my support. I am passionate about Osun and my interest is the welfare of the people of this state. I have told those sent to me. At the appropriate time, we will tell you where we are going.”