The candidature of Senator Iyiola Omisore for the September 22nd governorship election in Osun State on the platform of the Social Democratic Party may have run into trouble waters with the defection of his political ally, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo, from the party after he was denied the deputy governorship ticket.
Oladipo, who is a former vice chairman of the People’s Democratic Party in the Southwest, had left the party alongside Omisore after the latter’s aim of flying PDP’s governorship ticket was met with stiff resistance by the party leadership.
Omisore then left PDP and joined the SDP and succeeded in securing it’s governorship ticket. It was gathered that Omisore had promised to zone the SDP’s governorship running mate to Oladipo.
But it was a shock to Oladipo when SDP announced one of its members, Hon. Lawal Azeez Olayemi as Omisore’s running mate.
To this end, Oladipo exited SDP and returned to his former party, the PDP, along with his numerous supporters, most of whom are indigenes of Osogbo, where Oladipo holds a chieftaincy title as the Oluomo of Osogboland.
Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone on why he left SDP, Oladipo said Osogbo people persuaded him to return to the PDP after he was denied of the deputy governorship slot.
Oladipo, who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Saheed Lawal, said the people of Osogbo were not happy with Omisore for not picking him as his running mate.
According to Lawal, “The who is who in Osogbo met with Alhaji Oladipo and asked him to leave SDP, since Omisore did not pick him as running mate. Omisore said that Osogbo does not have credible candidate to be picked as his running mate. Oladipo decided to go with the decision of Osogbo people because he is an illustrious son of Osogboland.
“So, he left Omisore and SDP by popular demand of Osogbo people. His exit will affect the chances of Omisore negatively. There are now cracks in SDP, just few hours after we dumped the party. This defection has affected ten local governments and they are all for PDP now. His defection doesn’t mean that he is fighting with Omisore. Oladipo did not support Omisore because he wants to become deputy.”
On what would be the chances and gains of Oladipo by returning to the PDP, Lawal said, “He will remain a strong decision maker in PDP. Those in PDP have agreed with some terms and conditions before the defection took place. Oladipo did not defect to PDP because of personal gains, it was because of the benefits of the entire residents of Osogbo.”
When Omisore’s media aide, Mr. Seyi Gesinde, was contacted for his reaction, he promised that he would get back to our correspondent, but he never did.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports have it that Omisore shunned Oladipo because he wanted a younger person as his running mate.
This was said to be the reason why he picked a 36-year-old Lawal.
Speaking on his choice, he said himself and Senator Omisore had everything needed to restore the lost glory of the state.
The deputy governorship candidate of SDP said the party would ensure that the mistakes of the present and past governments were corrected, when elected during the September 22 governorship poll in the state.
Lawal, who hails from Apomu in Ayedade Local Government Area of the state, lashed out at the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, saying the present government had been very lazy and unproductive.
“Myself and Senator Omisore are here to restore the lost glory of Osun because the present government is very lazy,” he argued.