APC, SDP coalition, a renewed hope for development in Osun State —Yemi Lawal, SDP deputy gov candidate

The September 22 governorship election in Osun State and the eventual run-off, which returned the All People’s Congress (APC) to power with the emergence of Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola as the governor-elect has been celebrated by the APC and its supporters across the state, but the eventual victory of the party after the rerun election was believed to have been largely influenced by Senator Iyiola Omisore, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, who entered into a coalition agreement with the APC.

The election, now seen as a victory for both parties, the APC and SDP, had left many loyalists of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others who aligned with their thoughts, wondering why Omisore did not support Senator Ademola Adeleke, a former ally and PDP’s candidate to victory, when the SDP had blamed “bad governance in Osun State” on the APC while it campaigned to secure power in the state.

But Omisore, clarifying issues during a recent interview with Sunday Tribune said, his party’s decision to support APC to victory was not based on sentiments or ill feeling, but on the overall interest of Osun State people, as he said that was the only means to ensure SDP programmes as highlighted in its manifestos was implemented, primarily for good governance and human capital development in the state, since the party could no longer form a government as it had anticipated before the election.

Omisore said a window of opportunity was opened for both the APC and PDP for a working agreement, but while he said the APC agreed to its terms and conditions for governance, he said the PDP did not agree and was not ready to return back for negotiations, hence, he said the SDP was left with the choice of teaming up with APC for a proxy implementation of SDP programmes.

The SDP’s deputy governorship candidate, Alhaji Yemi Azeez Lawal, also corroborated his party Omisore on the coalition agreement reached with the APC in an interview with Sunday Tribune. He described it as a “wise decision,” since the consensus he also said was reached would, “on the long run, favour developments in Osun State.”

Lawal was of the view that entering into a partnership with the APC as the only party ready to work with SDP to secure victory in the rerun election was the only avenue to fulfill the SDP’s promise of good governance and human capital development in Osun State, which he said was the focus of SDP all through the campaign period, since the party could no longer single-handedly form a government after securing a third position at the polls.

The young politician contended that after assessing the turn of events, “the SDP, APC coalition agreement is a wise decision,” which he said was to ensure that the SDP’s “robust manifesto is duly implemented,” assuring that the SDP won’t renege on its promise and desire for development of Osun State and its people.

Lawal, raising the people’s hope on the development of the state, said, “now that the APC has agreed to go by the way of our manifestos, which is the institution of good governance in Osun State, we are hopeful this will be implemented. Our campaign is the only one which was issue-based, with genuineness of purpose, with a promise that we deliver the dividends of democracy to our people.”

He said it was tough but “unfortunate that we won’t be the one to implement our promises as put down in our manifestos, yet, the development of our people is our major concern, so, we are highly hopeful, resting on the fact that the agreement was reached with the sincerity of purpose. They have shown seriousness and we hope there won’t be any reason for them to go back on our agreements.”

“The SDP has a working document, and as highlighted in it, our cardinal programmes include, economic management and accountability; professionalism and performance; equity in access to services; local content and innovation; and security, all of which the APC has agreed to implement, with a high hope that a larger percentage of it will be implemented, even, if not all,” Lawal said.

• I’ll resign from INEC if our commission is found culpable over Osun gov poll ― Agbaje

Assuring the youths on the fulfillment of the SDP’s promising to get them engaged, Lawal said, “I equally believe the youths will also benefit since youths emancipation, youths development and youths participation in the developments of new inventions are key areas of our manifestos which we hope will be given priority attention, and we are also looking into developing our local contents, we are looking at making Osun State a viable business hub, which will be of benefits for our youths.”

“Likewise, we are looking at bringing back vocational and technical education to inspire our youths to be productive, and be self-reliant, and as far as the APC government is ready to do all of these, definitely our youths will be productively engaged, not forgetting areas such as the payment of the outstanding workers’ salaries and pensioners’ areas, which are all areas the working agreement will cover,” Lawal said.

As the state looks forward to a new APC governor taking over from the incumbent Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Omisore, the SDP governorship candidate, and his running mate, Lawal, said they remained committed to the development of Osun State and its people and would ensure the APC fulfills its promises.

In line with this, the APC leadership had also given its words through its national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who, in a recent public statement applauded Omisore’s commitment to the progress in Osun State, promising that his party will fulfill its promise as agreed to in the coalition government with SDP.

Now, all eyes are on Osun State, as the APC is set to embark on another four-year journey of governance with a promise to carry the SDP along.