Osun Polls: Afenifere Suspends Omisore For Supporting APC Candidate

The Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has suspended the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the last governorship election in Osun State, Iyiola Omisore.

Omisore was suspended for supporting candidate of the All Progressives Congress at the rerun stage of the election.

His suspension was decided at the group’s monthly meeting on Tuesday in Akure, and conveyed by via a communique issued at the end of the meeting and read by a chieftain of the group, Korede Duyile.

Recall that Omisore, a chieftain of the organization came third in the September 22 inconclusive election.

He, thereafter, backed the APC candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, who was trailing the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke.

The APC eventually won the election, arguably due to Omisore’s support who got his supporters to vote for the APC during the rerun poll.

According to the group, Omisore went against their decision even after he was advised against supporting the APC.

Meanwhile, Omisore in his reaction, said he was not ‘directly’ responsible for the decision to form an alliance with the APC.

“It was the Osun Social Democratic Party (SDP) that passed a resolution for a coalition agreement with the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is the party’s supremacy in decision making.

“I’m unaware of the pan-Yoruba group’s directives (then) because we also have bonafide, notable and active APC members in Afenifere.

“The interest of Osun SDP was the development of the state, and of the two parties involved in the rerun election, it was the APC that agreed to implement the SDP’s manifestos, the reason the decision was made.

“In as much as I’m a member of Afenifere, SDP members in Osun State are not necessarily members of Afenifere. Osun politics is local and I acted in consonance with the position and the will of Osun SDP.

“However, I’m yet to be informed on the so-called Afenifere’s suspension, which as far as I’m concerned bypassed the principle of fair hearing,” he said in a statement.