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SDP candidate says Adeleke, PDP didn't want his support to win Osun governorship rerun election

Omisore said that he backed the APC because the leadership of Osun State PDP said they did not need his support.

Senator Iyiola Omisore

The Osun State governorship rerun election took place on Thursday, September 27, 2018, days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the original September 22 election to have been inconclusive.

This was because the victory margin of 353 votes of first-placed candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke(254,698 votes) of the PDP, over second-placed Gboyega Oyetola (254,345 votes) of the All Progressives' Congress (APC) was less than the 3498 votes cancelled in seven polling units.

Since three of the seven affected polling units were in third-placed Omisore's Ile-Ife stronghold, his public endorsement was widely-sought by both leading parties for the final leg of the election.

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In the days that followed, Omisore was visited in his Ife hometown by Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on behalf of the PDP, and also played host to a high-level APC delegation that included national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole,  Kano State governor Abdullahi Ganduje, Ogun State governor Ibikunle Amosun, Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Ekiti State governor-elect Kayode Fayemi,Minister of Information Lai Mohammed, among others.

In the end, Omisore endorsed the APC, noting that the SDP's decision to adopt a party to form a coalition government with was based on the APC's readiness to adopt and implement the SDP's core values of social justice, equity and good governance.

While addressing SDP members on Thursday, October 4, Omisore disclosed that he backed the APC because the leadership of Osun State PDP, his former party, said they did not need his support.

He noted that the state chapter refused to respond to his request that the SDP's values be adopted to gain his support. He said former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, was also stopped from negotiating with him because the PDP was confident his endorsement was not needed to seal Adeleke's victory.

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He said, "We gave them (APC and PDP) our manifesto. We dwelled on payment of arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities, on local content, employment for our youths and the reorganisation of the educational system, among others.

"We went to negotiation with a clear mind that Osun must be free and thank God our coalition has produced a new future for the state."

In the rerun election that took place in those affected polling units on Thursday, Oyetola won the rerun election with a difference of 835 votes as he acquired a total of 1160 votes to Adeleke's 325.

The poll closed with Oyetola winning a total 255,505 votes, 482 more votes than Adeleke's 255,023.  INEC's Chief Returning Officer for the elections, ProfessorJoseph Afuwape,declared Oyetola the winner in Osogbo, the state capital.

Adeleke kicks against election result

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The PDP's candidate, Adeleke, failed to accept the result and called on INEC to cancel the rerun election and declare him the true winner. He said the election was not free and fair and alleged that PDP members were harassed and prevented from voting at polling units across the state.

He said, "This is not a free and fair election. Osun state is under siege; we are at war in Osun. They didn't allow my party to even vote. It's only APC people they allowed to vote. The security agents and INEC have compromised so there's no election in Osun today.

"I urge INEC, with immediate effect to cancel today's election and declare me the winner because I've already won the election. This is a kangaroo election with all the security agents intimidating my party faithfuls. All the people that wante to vote, they drove them; so this is not an election. Nigeria is in trouble. We're at war in Osun."

Adeleke also disclosed that he has enough evidence to prove that he already won before the rerun and will take the matter to an election tribunal if he has to.

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