Osun 2018: I’m in the governorship race to win — Omisore

THE candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Senator Iyiola Omisore, has said that he is in Osun State governorship race to win while assuring his supporters that he is not under any pressure to drop his ambition of becoming the state governor as being insinuated in certain quarters.

Omisore gave the assurance in Osogbo, the state capital, while reacting to a report being circulated around the social media platforms that, he was being threatened with the reopening of a case with Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), leaving him with an option of dropping his ambition to support an opposing candidate said to be favoured by a ruling cabal.

As partly claimed in the report, the said cabal in its efforts to ensure their favourite’s victory “made a deal by calling on the EFCC to reopen Otunba Christopher Iyiola Omisore’s case and he (Omisore) was invited secretly by officials of the EFCC last week for further questioning about his pending case with the commission.”

It further said, the anti-graft agency dangled “a carrot of debt buy-back or case withdrawal before him (Omisore),” while “a condition for his pardon was clearly spelt out to him to give his backing to the candidate of the African Democratic Party, Alhaji Mashood Adeoti.

Part of the arrangement which the report claimed was being hatched is that, a South West governor had “taken up the job of an intermediary,” and a resolution the report said was reached was that “Omisore should present the deputy governor of ADP and he will be given Osun East senatorial ticket of ADP in addition to his presenting the deputy governor to the party.”

However, Omisore, a chartered engineer, refuting the claims, said, he was not a party to any arrangement said to have been made, and nothing will stop his governorship ambition since he was not under pressure whatsoever, from any cabal over his ambition to govern Osun State and “restore its lost glory.”

He described the claims as an hatchet job being orchestrated by his detractors, who, he said, were afraid and at the same time bewildered by his soaring popularity among Osun State people, and were fearful of joining him in a contest, as much as being jolted before the election day, as he said they couldn’t see any prospect ahead of their political race with him.

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“Let me assure you that “I wasn’t secretly invited for any negotiations, or threatened by any cabal using the EFCC to withdraw my governorship interest in Osun State.

“The build-up to the election will attract issues like this, from the faint-hearted ones who know their interest for entering the race is not genuine, hence, they will be interested in spreading campaign of calumny against a credible opposition, don’t listen to them,” Omisore said.

He also charged the members of his party to remain an indissoluble entity, as according to him, “the peace currently being witnessed in Osun SDP and the rising profile of the party in the state is intimidating to oppositions, since the SDP is the only party in the state that enjoys internal peace against bickering tearing the opposition parties apart in the state.”

“Let every one be law-abiding people of Osun State and ignore any information which is not originally coming from my campaign office. I am, by the grace of God in the race to win, and nothing will jeopardise my interest to restore the battered glory of Osun State, and God’s willing, Omisore will emerge victorious in the September 22, governorship election in Osun State,” the Ife-born chattered engineered said.