Social Democratic Party distances itself from pact Omisore entered into with APC in Osun State

NIGERIA'S Social Democratic Party (SDP) has distanced itself from the coalition that its gubernatorial candidate in Osun State Senator Iyiola Omisore has entered into with the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of today's re-run.

On Saturday, Osun State went to the polls to elect a new governor and in what was a cliff-hanger of an election, Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured 254,698 votes, while Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola of the APC got 254,345 votes. Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec), declared the result inconclusive because it had cancelled 3,498 votes in seven polling units located in Osogbo, Orolu, Ife North and Ife South local government areas as a result of irregularities.

Today, a re-run is taking place in the disputed polling units but in the run-up to the polls, both the APC and PDP have been aggressively wooing Senator Omisore who came third with 128,049 votes. Senator Omisore is a key factor in today's re-run because the two Ife local government areas are his strongholds and his support could be a key decider.

Senate president and PDP presidential candidate Senator Bukola Saraki visited Senator Omisore to canvass his support. However, not to be outdone, the APC sent a high-powered delegation to Osun yesterday made up governors Abiola Ajimobi, Abdullahi Ganduje and Ibikunke Amosun of Oyo, Kano and Ogun states as well as Ekiti State governor-elect Kayode Fayemi, national chairman Adams Oshiomhole, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives Lasun Yusuf and information minister Lai Mohammed to woo Senator Omisore.

Yesterday, Senator Omisore announced that the PDP has not got back to him after he presented his demands but the APC has, so he will entering into a pact with them. He added that the APC agreed to implement all the suggestions he put forward, so it and the SDP will be looking to form a coalition government in Osun State.

However, the SDP national leadership has distanced itself from the agreement, saying it was not part of the conclusions reached between Senator Omisore and the APC. Alhaji Alfa Mohammed, the SDP's national publicity secretary, added that at no time did the party sit down and reach an agreement with the APC.

Alhaji Mohammed said: “The Social Democratic Party (SDP) would like to make it categorically clear that the national leadership of the party was not part of the recent developments involving our party’s gubernatorial candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore of Osun State and the conclusions arrived at. We remain irrevocably committed to serving the Nigerian people on the basis of the vision, principles and goals of social democracy which underlie the philosophy of our great party, the SDP.”

Already, two of the defeated candidates in the election, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti of Action Democratic Party, (ADP) and Alhaji Fatai Akinbade of the African Democratic Congress, (ADC), have thrown their weight behind Senator Adeleke. Also, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a former governor, has thrown his weight behind the PDP man saying he won and should not be ribbed of victory.