By Mufata’u Balogun
The candidate of the Social Democratic Party in last Saturday’s election in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has said he may support the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ademola Adeleke, in the Thursday’s rerun of the poll.
The election was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday because, the difference between the two leading parties, the PDP and the All Progressives Congress, 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.
The candidate of the Action Democratic Party, Moshood Adeoti, scored 49,742, while the candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Fatai Akinbade, scored 7,681 votes. Omisore scored 128,049 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.
Omisore becomes a bride to the two parties because most of the polling units fall within his stronghold. His father, Oba David Omisore, is the ruler of the Garage Olode, a town in Ife -South, where elections in two units were cancelled.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who met Omisore in his home in Ile-Ife on Monday, Omisore, expressed confidence that the PDP would win the election on Thursday with the support of the former deputy governor.
Omisore who also dumped the PDP after a disagreement over the party’s primary for the election, said that as a stakeholder in the state, he was always after a people-centered government.
My programme is like this; payment of salaries and pensions are very important. Good governance is also very important to me.
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.”
Meanwhile, Saraki told journalists after his meeting with Omisore that he (Omisore) had agreed in principle to support the PDP in the rerun of the election on Thursday.
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, the PDP will win. We are confident of a good outing. I am more confident now.”
