LESS than two months to the Osun State governorship election, how prepared is the SDP for the election, especially against the backdrop that you will be contesting against a party that is in control at the state and national level?
Our party is adequately prepared for this election. In fact, the outcome of the election will be determined by two major factors, irrespective of the incumbency of the ruling party. The first factor is the mindset of Osun State electorate, who I believe are fed up with their lot in the past seven and a half or more years and are desirous of a positive change. The second factor is the acceptability of the candidates presented by the various parties. Both factors are skewed in favour of the SDP.
Are you not scared that the poll may be characterised by militarisation and monetisation and how do you plan to contain the onslaught?
The INEC seems to have learnt a lesson or two from the vote buying spree that characterised the recently held Ekiti gubernatorial election and has vowed to prevent a recurrence. So, I don’t think that anybody planning that on September 22nd will go scot-free.
It is often the case that there will be disagreements after party primaries. Have you been able to manage the disagreement, which followed the emergence of Senator Iyiola Omisore as the standard-bearer of the party?
I don’t want to comment on that issue directly because the aggrieved persons are still in court, but I believe that it is an intraparty dispute that will soon be resolved amicably.
There have been controversies in the two major parties in the state, APC and PDP aftermath their governorship primaries. How has your party benefited from the crises?
To the extent that the controversies trailing the primaries conducted by those parties have opened doors of discussion between some affected members and the SDP. I will say that we have benefited immensely.
It was said that your party is in talks with some parties on how they will support Senator Omisore in the September election, how far have these talks gone?
At present, about seven political parties have indicated interest in collaborating with our party to ensure our success in the coming election.
You are the chairman of the SDP and people expect you to do a lot of marketing for your candidate. Why do you think he is the best among those seeking to govern the state?
Senator Iyiola Omisore, the candidate of the SDP is the man to beat in that election. It is Omisore and the others. He has been tested, especially when he served as deputy governor to Chief Bisi Akande. Civil servants in Osun State will not forget his intervention in their matter and are ready to repay him with their votes and those of their families, friends and associates. His performance as a senator for eight years are also speaking for him, most especially his timely assistance in shoring up the inflow of statutory and non-statutory income into the coffers of Osun State, apart from other interventions, especially in siting life-saving constituency projects all over his senatorial district.
Osun people know when they are presented with a good deal. So, I am sure that they will vote en masse for the SDP candidate in September.
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