TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in the last Saturday poll in Osun, Senator Iyiola Omisore, on Monday listed conditions to get his support for the Thursday’s rerun election.
Osun poll was declared inconclusive after elections were cancelled in 7 units in Ifon Orolu local government, Osogbo, Ife North and Ife South local government areas.
Omisore’s father, Oba David Omisore, is the ruler of Garage Olode, a town in Ife South, where elections in two units were cancelled.
Also, Omisore came third in the governorship poll, after garnering a total of 128, 049 votes and his support may determine the fate of the fate of PDP candidate, who is leading and the APC candidate, who is second in the poll.
Meanwhile, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, visited Omisore at his country home in Ile-Ife and asked him to work with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to wrestle power from APC at the Thursday’s governorship rerun.
Also, some stalwarts of the APC were said to have stormed Omisore’s home to lure him to team up with their party to defeat the PDP. But the Saraki and APC stalwarts’ visit appeared not to have yielded immediate positive results as Senator Omisore has declared that whichever party is ready to implement his programmes as SDP candidate, would have his support during Thursday’s poll.
Omisore said: “I have given my programmes to both APC and PDP. My programme is like this; 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.”
While addressing journalists in Ile-Ife, Saraki said PDP has agreed in principle with Omisore’s conditions to get his support for the rerun election. Saraki, who spoke in Ile Ife country home of Omisore after meeting the former federal lawmaker, expressed optimism of a good outing for the PDP.
He said Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to get his full commendations because Osun poll was declared inconclusive.
He said: “we had a fruitful discussion with Senator Omisore. He used to be with us. And we believe he is helping us now. I am optimistic of a good outing for PDP. “After meeting with him, I am more optimistic now that with his support, PDP will win. We are confident of a good outing. I am more confident now.
“I was hard on INEC because declared Osun poll inconclusive after doing a good job. The issue of vote buying was at the front burner but that was reduced to the barest minimum as against what we witnessed during Ekiti poll.
“At the end of the day, the poll was again declared inconclusive. That like take away all commendations that should have gone the way of INEC. 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.
“Our discussion will definitely be useful for the growth of democracy in our country; the development of Osun State and its people; as well as for future engagements among political players.
From now on, it will be a win-win situation for the State of the Land of Virtue, Osun, and Nigeria, in general,” the Senate President said.
