The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ademola Adeleke, has reacted to the declaration of support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Iyiola Omisore.
It will be recalled that Mr Omisore asked his supporters to vote for the APC in Thursday’s supplementary election in Osun State.
He said the ruling party has ‘agreed’ to adopt the manifesto of SDP.
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However, reacting to the development, the director of publicity for Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation, Olawale Rasheed who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview on Wednesday evening said his party will still emerge victorious without SDP support.
“Omisore was not with us when we won on Saturday. If not for manipulation, we would have won with over 5000 votes.
We believe in the power of the voters. PDP will win because Ademola Adeleke is a popular liberation man. So, whether with the support of Omisore or not, victory is certain because we have started mobilisation since Sunday,” he said.
Mr Omisore, who came third in the main election held on Saturday, has been courted by both the APC and the PDP.
It was earlier reported how delegates from the two major parties held separate meetings with Mr Omisore to seek his support.
Mr Omisore whose party, SDP, came third in the governorship election, stands no chance of being elected governor after Thursday’s supplementary poll.
In the inconclusive election held Saturday, the PDP scored 254,698 votes to beat APC, which polled 254, 345 votes. Mr Omisore, who hails from Ife Central local government, polled 128,049 votes to occupy the third place.
The supplementary election was declared on Sunday after the electoral commission, INEC, declared the governorship election inconclusive.
INEC said the margin between the two leading parties, PDP and APC, is less than the number of cancelled votes (3,498) in the seven polling units.
The supplementary election holds in the seven polling units were elections were cancelled.