Which of the two leading parties got the nod of Iyiola Omsore in today’s election expected to hold in seven polling units in Osun State? This the question pertinently begging for an answer. This supplimentary election is expected to determine who will be the next governor of Oasun State. Few minutes to the commencement of the election leaders of the two major parties have both claimed to have secured the crucial support of Iyiola Omisore.
Omisore whose party, SDP, came third in the governorship election held on Saturday, stands no chance to be elected governor after Thursday’s supplementary poll.
Ademola Adeleke of the PDP scored the highest with 254,698 votes ahead of Gboyega Oyetola of the APC, who polled 254,345 votes. Omisore, who hails from Ife Central local government, polled 128,049 votes to occupy the third place.
The supplementary election was declared on Sunday after the electoral commission, INEC, declared the governorship election inconclusive. INEC said the margin between the two leading parties, PDP and APC, is less than the number of cancelled votes (3,498) in the seven polling units.
Leaders of both party had visited Omisore to seek his support, the PDP delegation was led by Senate President, Bukola Saraki while the APC sent a strong delegation
“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,” the senate president said.
“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.while an APC delegation led the party chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and governor-elect of Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi, met with Omisore to canvass for his support.
By Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for the Information ministry, Joseph Mutah, sent a message to journalists that Mr Omisore at the meeting agreed to work with the governing party.
“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.
“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,” Mr Omisore told journalists after the meeting.
“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,” he said.
Although a letter purportedly signed by Omisore declaring his support for APC went viral, one of his aides said his principal is yet to declare his support for any of the two parties. But SDP yesterday declared his support for APC. As it stands all the 48 parties are possibly jostling for the 3498 votes from this supplementary election
