Saraki strikes deal with Omisore on Osun rerun election

By
Ajani Okanlawon
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Bukola Saraki and Iyiola Omisore

Senate President Bukola Saraki on Monday struck a deal with Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, to support the Peoples Democratic Party in the rerun election holding on Thursday.

Saraki was accompanied on the visit by Senator Abiodun Olujimi, Dr Doyin Okupe and other PDP leaders.

Omisore is also in talks with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a message posted on Twitter after the meeting at his Ile-Ife residence, Omisore thanked Saraki for coming and promised that “together we shall make Osun great again.”

PDP candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, had polled 254,698 votes to defeat that of the APC, Gboyega Oyetola, who polled 254,345 votes in Saturday’s poll.

Omisore scored a total 128,049 votes to place third.

However, due to irregularities which marred the election at some polling units in Ife North, Ife South and Orolu local government areas, including cases of card reader malfunctioning and ballot box snatching, among others, 3,498 votes recorded in the affected polling units were cancelled

Saraki told journalists after his visit to Osun that he is confident Adeleke will win the rerun poll and become the next governor of the state after Rauf Aregbesola of the APC.

Omisore, a former deputy governor of Osun, defected to the SDP in May when he lost the PDP governorship primary to Adeleke.

Speaking after the meeting with Saraki, he said: “I have given my programmes to both the APC and the PDP. My programme is like this; payment of salaries and pensions. Good governance is what is important to me.

“Anyone between the two that will do that will get my support. 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.”

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