Let Me Assist Osun PDP A Little

From time memorial, Ile-Ife has always been a property of the progressives fold. The three times (2003, 2007 and 2014) PDP clearly defeated other parties in Ife zone, Senator Iyiola Omisore made it possible. In 1999, Omisore as deputy polled ife votes which contributed to the victory of Bisi Akande at the poll. He remains the only son of Ile-Ife who has ever polled such votes as a deputy. Others who made such attempts performed woefully at the poll.

When Omisore dumped PDP for SDP in 2018, it left the PDP gasping for breath in Ife zone. There are four local governments in Ile-Ife, they are namely; Ife South, Ife North, Ife East and Ife East. In 2018 guber poll, SDP and APC won two LGs respectively while PDP who picked its deputy candidate from Ife had none. APC won Ife North and Ife South while SDP won Ife Central and Ife East. PDP came distant third at the four LGs despite picking Ife-born politician as deputy. These are verifiable claims.

In 2018, one would have expected APC to perform worse in Ife. APC was the only major party who had no Ife-born politician on the ballot and there was no ife-born politician in the first-ten rank of leadership in the state. Despite the unfavourable political scheming, half-salary agitation among others, APC polled 29,632 in Ife zone while PDP polled 20,166. SDP polled 49446.

There is a new development. Senator Omisore who polled 49446 votes in SDP has joined the APC and now one of its leadership at the national level. The ife-born politician who is sharing a joint guber ticket with Senator Adeleke is not a popular one. And I doubt if Governor Oyetola has a known or loud controversy with Ife people that could spark a major influence at the poll. I really do not understand how PDP wants to win Ife zone.

When I read a press statement credited to Prince Diran Odeyemi about APC rally held in Ile-Ife, I discovered that PDP is still much interested in lip service. Prince Diran is not a baby politician but I’m wondering why he still has not appreciated the fact that PDP has A LOT of work to do in Ife zone.

Sodiq Lawal Chocomilo writes from Osogbo, the Capital of Osun State.