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Reports have it that the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the September 22 Osun state governorship election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, spent the whole of Monday in crucial meeting with party leaders and stakeholders on what role to play in the rerun elections fixed for Thursday, September 27.
The rerun polls will hold in polling units in four local governments, two of which are in in Ile-Ife, Omisore’s home town and stronghold. The rerun will hold in two units in Ife South and in one unit in Ife North. Ife North is however believed to be stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It was gathered that the Peoples Democratic Party was already reaching out to him. On Monday morning, former Vice President and PDP presidential aspirant in the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar, urged Omisore to throw his weight behind the PDP, his former home.
READ: Atiku calls on Omisore to support PDP in Osun rerun election
According to results declared by INEC on Sunday, Omisore polled a total of 128,051 votes in the election to trail the APC candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, who polled 254,345 votes. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ademola Adeleke, polled the highest votes, leading Oyetola with 353 votes.
The Returning officer of the election, Joseph Afuwape, had declared the election inconclusive, saying he could not declare a winner since the difference between the two leading parties was just 353 votes, which was lower than the number of registered voters in areas where polls were cancelled due to one irregularity or the other. The number of cancelled votes was 3,498.
Omisore is thought to have a great influence on up to 40 per cent of voters in the two Ife South polling units. He also has some influence in Osogbo and Orolu where the election will hold.
Newspeakonline gathered that Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has already established telephone discussion with the former deputy governor with plans to fly to Ile-Ife on Monday night to speak face to face with him.
Omisore was the PDP candidate in the 2014 election in which he lost to the incumbent, Rauf Aregbesola, of the APC. He dumped the PDP preparatory to the current election when it was obvious that he would be unable to pick the party’s ticket.
Omisore also represented Osun East Senatorial District twice on the PDP platform.