Before a mammoth crowd at the Freedom Park in Osogbo, Omisore, a senator of the Federal Republic and former chairman of Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriation unfolded an Eight-Point Agenda that he would pursue if the people of Osun would entrust the mandate to govern them on him.
Since then and until last Saturday when he emerged winner of the state PDP Special Congress to pick the party’s candidate, the Ife-born engineer-turned-politician worked round the clock across the state to sell his candidacy to members of the PDP.
He was not the only contender for the ticket of the alleged largest party in Africa. He had other formidable members to contend with among whom were former member of the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly, Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Wole Oke and lately, the former first executive governor of the State of Osun and former member of the Senate, Senator Isiaka Adeleke.
Following the last minute of Senator Adeleke, who alleged that there would be violence if he participates in the primary election, Omisore had Akinlabi and Oke to contend with in the titanic battle for the PDP ticket in the governorship election slated for August 9.
The primary election, held at the expanse open space of the GMT Hotel in Osogbo, the state capital last Saturday, was against all predictions and permutations very peaceful and orderly. Although, there was heavy presence of policemen and other security operatives at the venue of the election and adjoining streets, there was no incident of violence as the aspirants and the delegates disappointed all doomsday prophets and conducted themselves in a very orderly and peaceful manner.
The chairman of the Congress Committee from the PDP headquarters, former governor of Kebbi state, Senator Adamu Ailero, in his opening speech commended the delegates for their orderliness and the matured manner they conducted themselves.
Commending Osun State Working Committee of the PDP for its transparency in organising the primary, he expressed belief in the ability of Osun PDP to win the August 9 governorship poll, adding that using democratic process to pick governorship candidate will ensure the emergence of the most popular aspirant as candidate, saying that the primary stood PDP out as a party where internal democracy is allowed to thrive.
He therefore urged all contestants to accept outcome of the primaries and support any candidate the PDP present for the governorship election.
Before voting commenced, each of the three aspirants was given three minutes to make comments. While each of them said they were offering themselves for service to the people of Osun, Akinlabi and Oke pledged to work with whoever emerged as the flag bearer to win Osun for PDP and save the people from the All Progressives Congress, APC’s Rauf Aregbesola-led administration.
Akinlabi and Oke however admonished PDP leaders to review the process of selecting its flag bearers in future to avoid rancour and division among party members..
After voting, collation and counting, which was done local government by local government, of the 1,280 out of 1,380 delegates accredited for the election, in which 1,186 votes were cast; in what has been declared as a landslide, Omisore polled a total of 1,128 votes, representing 95.11 per cent of total votes cast.
Olasunkanmi came a distant second with 35 votes while Oke was third with 5 votes. 18 votes were voided.
Of interest at the state congress was the fact that the former deputy governor of Osun State, not only won in all the 30 local government areas of the state, but he cleared all the votes cast in 15 local government areas.
The local governments where Omisore cleared all the votes cast include: Atakumosa West, Boripe, Ede North, Ede South, Ife Central, Ife East, Ife South and Ifelodun. Others were: Ilesa West, Irewole, Odo-Otin, Oriade, Orolu and Osogbo.
After being declared winner, Omisore, thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him by the delegates and by extension, the PDP having confidence in him welcomed other contestants on board, saying they all need to work together to dislodge the APC from the state.
He declared that he was on a rescue mission to reclaim Osun State from the APC, adding that Osun people deserves more than they are presently getting from the APC government in the state, stressing the need for all members of the party to unite and wrest power for the PDP in a democratic manner.
He said, “I welcome everybody on board. We must work together. APC has already lost in the state. Nothing is working; no commerce and the schools are in a comatose condition.
“The next step is to reach out to my brothers who also participated in the race; this victory is for us all. The party will be made stronger through sincere reconciliation in the interest of all.
“The party will explore all democratic means to win the general election. We will not be provoked to violence.”
He commended delegates for the peaceful manner the primary was conducted, saying that it was an indication that the PDP had come to stay in the state, adding that the party will eventually win the August 9, governorship election.
Aliero urged the aspirants to come together and rally round the candidate in the interest of the party, saying: “The PDP is one big family and we should all pull resources together to ensure victory for the party in all elections. I want to thank all the delegates who participated in the election for their good conduct and sportsmanship.”
In his own remarks, the state chairman of the party in Osun, Alhaji Gani OlaOluwa, said: “With the successful conduct of the primary, the party is in a better stead ahead of the general elections.”
The battle for the Osun Government House has just only begun and having scaled the first major hurdle, will Omisore surmount the Aregbesola hurdle on his way to govern Osun State? Time will tell.
source: nationalmirroronline.net
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