– says he was never consulted
National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Chief Olu Falae, has dissociated himself and the party from the pact reached with the All Progressives Congress, APC by the party’s candidate in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, over Thursday’s governorship election rerun.
He spoke to Channels Television hours after Omisore pledged his support and that of the party to the APC’s governorship candidate Gboyega Oyetola for the supplementary election.
Omisore, who had been visited by Senate President Bukola Saraki, said he had opted to support the APC because the party agreed to meet the conditions he gave for his support.
But SDP National Chairman said that he was neither consulted nor was he a party to the pact.
Falae said: “All I want to say is that as the National Chairman, I was not consulted. Therefore, I am not a party to his (Omisore’s) decision. That is all I intend to say; not a word more.”
Also in another interview with Nigerian Tribune, the elder-statesman declared that he as the SDP National Chairman was never consulted before such decision was taken.
He said that it was wrong for Omisore to have said he took the decision to work for the APC in the re-run poll holding on Thursday in seven (7) poling units across the state, in consultation with his party (SDP).
His words: “I was not consulted, and I was not a party to the decision. He (Omisore) said he took the decision to work with APC in consultation with his party (SDP). But I am the Chairman of the party, he did not consult me about it and, therefore, I am not a party to it. That’s all I am trying to say.”
Falae, said that SDP would issue a statement on the development.
“I think the party will issue a statement later,” he said.
Omisore’s decision to support the APC, a day before the supplementary election is held in seven polling units in the state, followed a visit to him by a delegation from the APC.
The delegation, led by APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, comprised of governors and key figures in the party.
Omisore is on his own – SDP
Falae has reportedly pledged the support of the SDP to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ademola Adeleke, in the rerun.
According to Punch, the SDP National Chairman “reportedly called Adeleke on the telephone on Wednesday to disown Senator Iyiola Omisore who had also promised to work for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, to win the election.”
Spokesman of Adeleke Campaign Organisation, Mr Olawale Rasheed, confirmed to the paper that Falae called Adeleke on the telephone and expressed displeasure about the step taken by Omisore.
According to him: “Senator Ademola Adeleke won the last Saturday election without the support of Omisore and he is going to win again tomorrow (Thursday). Our strength is not with any leader but in the people. We believe the people will reaffirm the mandate they already gave to Senator Adeleke.
The spirit of national coalition remains and the spirit is that the SDP, PDP and others will unite to fight for the 2019 elections. Chief Falae called and talked to Senator Adeleke that the party did not authorise Omisore to support the APC. They said Omisore is on his own.”
Also, the SDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Alfa Mohammed, said: “The SDP will 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.”
Omisore’s decision to support APC is shameful – Fani-Kayode
A PDP chieftain and former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has berated Omisore’s decision to support APC in the rerun.
In a statement on Wednesday, Fani-Kayode described Omisore’s decision to pitch his tent with APC as “shameful”, just as he noted that the latter did it “simply for money.
He stated that Omisore had told him that “he would stand firm two days ago”, same thing he was said to have told Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo on Tuesday night.
Following the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the election as inconclusive, Omisore had suddenly Osun State’s most beautiful bride as both APC and PDP leadrs had thronged his home to woo him.
Indeed, his home had suddenly become a Mecca of sort as he was visited by various stakeholders in the PDP and APC, who sought his support to win in the rerun election. He, however, eventually caved in to embrace APC’s offer for collaboration.
Stating his disappointment, Fani-Kayode said: “Iyiola Omisore’s decision to support the APC in tomorrow’s (Thursday’s) rerun is shameful. It is sad that he would seek to deny Ile-Ife the position of Deputy Governor simply for money.
Fani-Kayode’s words: “He told me he would stand firm two days ago and he told our leader and father Baba Ayo Adebanjo the same thing last night. I do not know what has turned his head but we shall forge ahead and by God’s grace Adeleke will win.
There is no excuse or justification for joining or supporting those who treated our people like filth and slaves over the last eight years, and who rigged last Saturday’s election.”
US, EU, UK warn against violence, vote-buying
Meanwhile, European Union, United Kingdom and United States’s missions have counselled politicians to shun violence, intimidation and vote-buying.
While commending the people, the security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission for the orderly conduct of Saturday governorship election in the state, the missions in a statement on Monday said the winner of the election should be “magnanimous in victory.”
The statement said: “We urge that all continue to support a peaceful, free, fair, and credible completion of the process as INEC re-runs the election in seven polling units where, through no fault of their own, voters were not able to cast their votes and have them counted last Saturday.
We stress the importance that the re-run should take place without any violence, intimidation, or vote-buying.
Whoever wins the election after Thursday’s vote should be magnanimous in victory, and whoever loses should be gracious in defeat.”
Police raises alarm over plot to make Osun rerun violent
Against these backdrops, the police have raised an alarm that politicians are arming thugs to make the supplementary elections violent and deadly.
But the agency warned that it would not allow anything that will undermine the process or cause breach of public peace.
Urging residents to go about their lawful duties, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Operations and Security Coordinator for the election Joshak Habila said they will not let their guards down.
Habila noted that Saturday’s election was free, fair and peaceful, save for few incidents of “breach of peace and threat to life and property.”
He warned that only eligible voters and officials would be allowed near polling units in the areas where rerun would take place.
Habila said: “The election was however declared inconclusive by the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) with a re-run election fixed for Thursday September 27. The election will take place in seven polling units scattered in four Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state. These are Ife North, Ife South, Orolu and Osogbo Local Government Areas.
We have an intelligence report that, there is a grand plan to turn the election gruesomely violent and deadly by arming thugs to unleash mayhem at polling centers. As law enforcement agencies, the police and other security agencies would not permit the breakdown of law and order.
Those of them preparing for “fire for fire” must be ready to bear the consequences of their actions which are designed to undermine this particular democratic process. “It should be noted that the Nigeria Police Force will remain proactive and would not rest on its oars in the task to decode the identities of those democratic enemies.
Residents are requested to be law abiding and go about their lawful duties without fear and with the full assurance of the protection of law abiding citizens and voters who are out there to exercise their franchise.
The Police and other law enforcement agencies have been deployed to maintain law and order and protect lives and property of residents.”
Continuing, the DIG appealed to residents to report all suspicious activities to the police, such as solicitation for votes, buying of Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) and any plan to rig or disrupt the election.
Troublemakers and other interlopers are warned to keep away from the polling units and indeed from any part of the state. The police and other security agencies will leave no stone unturned to protect lives and property and maintain peace.”
Lawmakers, others task INEC on objectivity, fairness
Some residents of Awka, the Anambra state capital, have been reacting to the declaration of Osun governorship election as inconclusive by INEC. The election was contested by forty-eight political parties.
A lawyer, Barrister Frank Akunaekwe explained that the Electoral Umpire did the right thing as the Electoral Law provides that when the number of cancelled votes in an election is higher than the margin with which a candidate is leading, INEC should declare the election inconclusive and fix a rerun for the polling units where votes were cancelled.
He, however, advised INEC to be consistent in the application of Electoral Laws in the interest of equity and justice. On his part, the member representing Dunokofia Constituency in Anambra state house of Assembly, Hon. Laurence Azudo, also added that INEC acted in accordance with the Electoral Act.
The lawmaker also called on the Electoral Umpire to allow the wish of the people of Osun State to reflect in the supplementary poll, stressing that the rerun is a crucial test for INEC as it is the last major poll before the 2019 general elections.
Also, the member representing Anocha constituency in the state house, Chief Charles Azubuike Okoye, urged INEC to be consistent in the application of Electoral Laws in the election, even when it does not favour the ruling party to avoid the electorate pointing accusing fingers on them.
PDP releases details of collected PVCs, warns INEC against manipulation
The PDP had said that 2,594 permanent voter cards (PVCs) were collected in the areas where the Osun rerun election will hold.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Saturday’s election inconclusive, saying the margin between the two leading candidates was not significant enough to declare a winner.
In a statement on Wednesday, Soji Adagunodo, PDP chairman in the state, warned INEC against manipulating the result of the election.
Adagunodo said his party was in possession of relevant information on all the polling units where the exercise would hold.
He added that voters turnout in the areas had never exceeded 51 percent.
“We are by this publication putting the General Public on notice as to the facts about the total number of Permanent Voters Cards collected as at the date when collection of PVCs ended,” he said.
The PDP chairman said: “The INEC and the General Public should also note that average voters turnout had never exceeded 51% of those who collected their PVCs.
We shall therefore be holding the INEC accountable for any deviation from these facts in the Supplementary election holding on Thursday.”
INEC clarifies ‘destruction’ of result in Ayedaade council
Meanwhile, INEC has clarified the controversy surrounding the election result of Ayedaade Local Government Area.
In a statement, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, Olusegun Agbaje, insisted that the result sheet destroyed by Mutiu Salawu, the electoral officer for Ayedaade, contained the wrong figure.
According to Agbaje, the electoral officer for Ayedaade, Mrs. Aderinoye Olukemi Alice, following the information she received from the Local Government Security Chief (LGSC) that there was an error on the Form EC 60 (E) INEC Publication of Result of Poll Poster pasted at the local government collation centre at St. Patrick Grammar School, Gbongan and after crosschecking the result sheet for the collation form EC 8C to confirm the information, called her staff, Mutiu Salawu, to remove the pasted EC 80 (E) poster with error and replace it with the correct one.
“Mr. Mutiu Salawu, being a dutiful staffer, went to carry out the lawful instruction of his boss when he was accosted by a mob that manhandled him,” INEC said.
Also in the statement, the electoral body gave an extended breakdown of the results, which showed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 9,836 votes instead of the 10,836 mistakenly recorded.
The commission also expressed its displeasure with the media for the “repeated broadcast of the event maliciously without proper investigation”.
“I want to reassure all stakeholders in the Osun governorship election that the present INEC under the leadership of Prof. Yakubu will never jeopardise the goodwill and credibility which the commission has attained in the conduct of elections in Nigeria,” Agbaje said.
Adeleke gives conditions for participation
PDP candidate in the state, Senator Ademola Adeleke has issued certain conditions that must be met if he would partake in the rerun election.
In a statement by his Director Media and Publicity, Mr Olawale Rasheed, he said he would participate in the election if the conditions were met.
According to him, “Card reader must work and there will be no election without card reader. We will not accept usage of incident forms; card reader must work for any election to hold”
International observers must be allowed in all the seven polling units. INEC should stop unholy, ongoing meetings with Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Ongoing arrests and intimidation of PDP leaders should stop. Vote buying that is ongoing now should stop.
Access codes to Voters register already given to APC members in Orolu rural areas should be withdrawn. INEC should stop colluding with APC and be truly transparent and unbiased.
Security agencies should not serve partisan interest of APC. They should simply maintain law and order.”
Omisore can’t determine whom SDP will support – Olu Agunloye
An SDP chieftain, Dr Olu Agunloye, has dismissed insinuations that Omisore, will solely determine whom the party supports in the rerun election.
Agunloye, the 2016 SDP governorship aspirant in Ondo State, said the party was still weighing which of the two political parties to support.
He spoke via telephone with SaharaReporters in Akure, Ondo State capital on Tuesday night, noting that the party had already made its position known on the conditions required to support any of the two contenders in the rerun election.
He said that the conditions, which were available in print, had also been issued to both political parties to see if they could key into the agenda of the SDP before any support ahead of the rerun election.
“The party (SDP) has a committee and it would decide. Not even Omisore can determine for the party because he is also working along with the group (committee),” he said.
“So, the committee set up by the party will determine and it is not going to be an Omisore show, and you know that the SDP candidate has made it very clear that it is a matter of which of the parties will do what SDP would have done if we had won.
And anybody who comes is given the same conditions, because it is written. A copy was given to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, during his visit to ask for the SDP support. A copy was also given to Kayode Fayemi.
But the truth of it is that Osun State cannot continue to be governed the way it has been. So, it is a question of their willingness to accept to do the bidding of our party, which is contained in the list of conditions given to the parties.
I understand that both parties have got those conditions, but a lot of negotiations are going on and hopefully by Wednesday, somebody will settle on one.”
Why we’re joining forces with APC – Osun SDP
However, Osun State chapter of SDP has formally announced its readiness to work for the APC candidate.
Endorsing Omisore’s decision, SDP in the state 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 on 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 Mr 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 and former governor of the state, 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.
ChannelsTV/Punch/The Nation/Premium Times/Sahara Reporters/TheCable/The Guardian/Daily Trust/
