By Sola Jacobs
The recent carpet-crossing of the Ife-born politician, Otunba Iyiola Omisore from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state has generated furore, as members of the party had denounced his membership and rejected his gubernatorial bid on the platform of the party in the State of Osun.
According to the Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the State, Elder Femi Awe, the party has no record of Senator Omisore as a card-carrying member of the party, let alone a letter of intent to contest on its platform.
He continued that “in his usual style and way of doing things, he has been announcing to whoever cares to listen that he has joined our party while he has not personally or officially meet the party leadership to express his interest of becoming a member”.
Another stalwart in the SDP and a gubernatorial candidate, Chief Yemisi Oladeji has carpeted Omisore over his pursuit of gubernatorial ambition in SDP as wishful thinking.
He added that the former Governor is not more than a “friend of SDP” in the state, as there is no significant move by him to join the party, contrary to his public claim.
Chief Oladeji stated further “this is just a wishful thinking brought about by certain elements trying to create confusion in the peaceful process of our party primaries and from records available to us, Senator Omosire is not a member of SDP in Osun”.
He therefore advised the former senator to first and foremost, properly approach the party to regularize his membership and until that is done, he is not a member of the party.
Meanwhile OSUN DEFENDER investigation in Ile-Ilfe among the supporters of the former Deputy Governor revealed a dissented opinion as most of his followers refused to support his ambition on the platform of SDP, which seem to have polarized his supporters in the ancient city.
According to Mr Fawibe Adeolu, one of his supporters from Ilode unit I, Ile-Ife, Otunba’s ambition is myopic and inconsiderate of the interest of his followers.
He added, “his inconsistency has a far adverse effect on our future and we have refused to follow him, to secure our future in party we have labour to build”.
Another ardent supporter of Omisore in Okerewe ward I Ile-Ife, Mr Adewole Adesupo opined that as a leader, Omisore knows the best party to pursue his political ambition and that he believes in his political calculation, hence, his support for the senator is binding.
He described the statement credited to the SDP State Secretary and another gubernatorial candidate in the party, Chief Yemisi Oladeji as a political statement which had no effect on the ambition of the Ife-born politician.
Meanwhile a statement on social media credited to one Mr. Taiwo Akeju, that the senator had fully decamped from the PDP to the SDP and called on public to disregard the position of Mr Awe, insisting that the said Awe is not the state secretary of the party and cannot speak for it.
It was gathered that the members of SDP has called for the leadership meeting of the party in the state over the purported ambition of Otunba Iyiola Omisore so that it will not cause crack in the leadership and the chances of the party in the gubernatorial election that will hold in the state come September 22nd, 2018.
