Iyiola Omisore, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), asked his supporters to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Thursday’s supplementary poll to decide the winner of the Osun State governorship election, the SDP has formally announced it’s readiness to work for the APC candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.
It was earlier on Wednesday reported that Iyiola Omisore, the SDP governorship candidate, declared his support for APC.
Endorsing Omisore’s decision, SDP said the APC has agreed to adopt its manifesto in forming a coalition government with its branch in Osun State.
The decision was documented in a communique titled “SDP communique on Osun election from meetings held at Osogbo, Iwo, Ile-Ife, Ede and Ilesha on Monday, September 24.”
The party, whose candidate returned third in the election on Saturday, said its decision was made after consultations with its leaderships and members in the 30 local government areas of Osun State.
In the communiqué signed by its branch executives in the various towns, SDP declared support for the APC candidate.
According to the communique, the leaders resolved they should form a working relationship with APC because “the characters in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are serial liars and not men of honour and integrity, having reneged in all previous agreements.
“There should be a strong and workable memorandum of understanding (MOU) capable of taking the interest of SDP members from wards, locals, states and national levels between the legal representatives from both parties, the APC and SDP.
“In addition, the present litigation against the PDP are another factors which reinforced our decision,” the document stated.
Omisore’s endorsement is seen as crucial in determining the winner of the election after the inconclusive poll n Saturday.
Ademola Adeleke of the PDP scored 254,698 votes to beat his APC rival, Oyetola, who polled 254,345 votes.
The PDP candidate was however not returned winner because the 353 votes between his tally and that of Oyetola are fewer than the 3,498 cancelled votes in seven polling units where supplementary elections will now hold Thursday.
The re-run election will take place in the seven polling units spread across Osogbo, Orolu, Ife North and Ife South local government areas.
APC and PDP have made several attempts to win over Omisore to their sides as leaders of the two parties met separately with him.
Ironically, the SDP candidate has history of previous cohabitation with the two sides.
He was elected deputy governor of the state in 1999 on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy which was the roots of one of the legacy parties that became APC in 2014.
He however fell out with his principal, the then Governor Bisi Akande, and was sacked as deputy governor. He thereafter joined the PDP and was in 2003 elected senator while standing trial for alleged involvement in the still unresolved murder of the then Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Bola Ige.
Omisore was the governorship candidate of the PDP in 2014 but suddenly left the party this year to pick the ticket of the SDP.
Ironically too, Isiaka Adeleke, the late brother of the current PDP candidate, left the PDP in 2014 to help Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the APC beat back the spirited challenge of Omisore, then the PDP candidate, to his reelection.
The animosity between Omisore and the Adeleke family may have played a huge part in the SDP candidate accepting to help try to overhaul the slim PDP lead in Thursday’s supplementary to the dramatic Osun governorship election.
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