Nine out of the 20 political parties contesting the August 9
Osun State governorship election on Wednesday adopted the Peoples Democratic
Party candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, as their candidate in the election.The
parties are: the Accord Party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, the
Democratic Peoples Party, the Action Alliance, the Peoples Party of Nigeria,
the Social Democratic Party, the Unity Party of Nigeria, the Kowa Party, and
the Advance Congress of Democrats.
The Director-General Iyiola Omisore Campaign Organisation,
Mr. Lere Oyewumi, who presented the state chairmen of the parties at an event,
which was held at the PDP secretariat Osogbo, said the development was an
indication that Omisore was the candidate to beat in the election.
The Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political
Parties, Mr. Popoola Olatunji, who read the speech signed by leaders of the
nine parties, said they decided to support Omisore because the Governor Rauf
Aregbesola administration had failed on all the six points of its action plan.
Olatunji, who is also the state APGA chairman, listed the
six points as to banish poverty; banish hunger; banish unemployment; restore
healthy living; promote functional education; and enhance communal peace and
progress.Olatunji added that nine parties believed that a PDP-led government in
Osun would have better impact on the lives of residents of the state and would
end capital flight.
“It is our belief that the government of Dr. Omisore will be
more realistic and would have better plan on how to move Osun State forward.
With the experience of Omisore, Osun State will also have direct link with
foreign investments which she needs seriously,” he said.A member of the PDP
Board of Trustees, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, received the gesture of the parties
and thanked them on behalf of the leadership of the party.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of State for
Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, described the inauguration of Aregbesola as
governor of the state as a mistake that would be corrected on Saturday.
He reiterated the election would be free, fair, and
violence-free, warning that anybody who attempted to disrupt the conduct of the
election would be dealt with by security operatives who have been deployed in
the state.“With the above submissions and observations, we hereby adopt Otunba
Dr. Iyiola Omisore as the candidate of all the above mentioned parties in the
August gubernatorial election and we hereby call on all our supporters to take
note and vote for him. We call on all well-meaning Osun State residents not to
waste their vote but vote for Otunba Dr. Iyiola Omisore.”