Elections: Political Titans Battle For Ifeland

• Omisore, Wale Oladipo, Fani-Kayode At War

By Sola Jacobs

With few days to 2019 general elections, political titans in the ancient city of Ile-Ife are battling for the soul of the city, Osun Defender investigation revealed.

It was gathered that Otunba Iyiola Omisore who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) had put up efforts to attract some of his followers and eminent Ife sons and daughters to the progressives fold, urging them to forget the past and move on with the progressive party.

Osun Defender investigation revealed that Otunba Omisore is making concerted efforts to sell the party to the Ifes in the diaspora and asked them to forget the rift between the progressive camp and some sections of Ile-Ife which was traced to the disagreement he had with his former boss, erstwhile governor of the state, Chief Abdulkareem Adebisi Akande.

Also, feelers from Omisore’s camp revealed that though his effort is yielding but not without a contrary piliticking from the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party in Ile-Ife.

Osun Defender gathered that the former National Secretary of PDP and one of the chieftains of the Party, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode who see the defection of Omisore to the APC as a setback for the PDP in Ile-Ife and Osun in general had mounted war against him and described him as unpatriotic, therefore urging Ife people to reject him and his party.

Findings showed the PDP had been engaging in door-to-door campaign, as well as holding meetings with professional, artisans, farmers and traders on why they should not vote APC in the forthcoming elections.

They premised their grouse on the sentiment that Ifes have been relegated to the background in politics and non appointment of Ife indigenes into prominent political offices, even though  indigenes of the city belong to the APC.

On the other hand, it was gathered that the acrimony among some APC stalwarts in Ile-Ife and the fear of Omisore’s group has pitched some members of the party against each other.

However, the Ife Federal constituency campaign of the APC had been kick started on Thursday at Abiri and Ifetedo respectively, as efforts are intensified to unite party members, so that the candidates can win elections into various offices during the poll.

Also, a stalwart of the party who preferred anonymity told Osun Defender, that the success of the party is sure in Ifeland, as all warring party members have eschewed personal interest and seek the success of the party at the poll, but also urged the leadership of the party to intensify uniting the party stalwarts and members in Ifeland.

He said this is with a view to ensuring that the party is stronger in defeating the opposition PDP whose members have been working assiduously to see that their candidates emerged during the elections.