The candidate of the Social Democratic Party in last Saturday’s election in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has pledged to support the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ademola Adeleke, in the Thursday’s rerun of the poll if the party satisfies his conditions.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Sunday declared the election inconclusive because the difference between the two leading parties, the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC), was lower than the number of the votes cancelled.
After the collation of all the results from the 30 council areas of the state, Adeleke of the PDP had 254,698 while the candidate of APC, Gboyega Oyetola, polled 254,345.
Omisore who left the PDP after a disagreement over the party’s primary for the election scored 128,049 votes. The candidate of the Action Democratic Party, Moshood Adeoti, scored 49,742, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Fatai Akinbade, scored 7,681 votes. Adeoti left the APC while Akinbade defected from the PDP to contest in the election.
The INEC said the rerun would take place in seven polling units located in Orolu, Osogbo, Ife North and Ife South council areas on Thursday, September 27.
Omisore is believed to be strong in the polling units in Ife North and Ife South.
Speaking during the visit of the senate president and PDP presidential candidate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to his home in Ile-Ife on Monday, Omisore said as a stakeholder in the state, he was always after a people-centred-government.
“I have given my programmes to both the APC and the PDP. My programme is like this; payment of salaries and pensions. Good governance is what is important to me.
“Anyone among the two that will do that will get my support. I am passionate about Osun State 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.
Addressing journalists after the visit, Saraki who was accompanied on the visit by Dr Doyin Okupe, Senator Abiodun Olujimi and other PDP leaders said Omisore had agreed in principle to support the PDP in the rerun.
He said he was confident Adeleke would win the rerun and become the governor of the state
“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. I am optimistic of a good outing for PDP. After meeting with him, I am more optimistic now that with his support, the PDP will win. We are confident of a good outing. I am more confident now
“I was hard on INEC because it 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 bearers minimum as against what we witnessed during Ekiti poll.
“At the end of the day, the poll was again declared inclusive. That like takes away all commendations that should have gone the way of INEC,” he said.
