- +Why President BUHARI Sent FAYEMI To Meet Him
Although the Osun governorship rerun has come and gone, many still can’t understand why the APC decided to strike a deal with Senator Iyiola Omisore. Many observers also don’t know the details of the deal that the leadership of APC struck with him.
Until the last rerun governorship election took place in the state of Osun, many people didn’t know how politically relevant Senator Iyiola Omisore was as a politician. Days before the election, the Ile-Ife country home of Otunba Omisore who was the SDP governorship candidate had turned to Mecca, having played host to prominent politicians from the PDP and APC ahead of the Thursday’s rerun election, between the APC’s candidate, Alhaji Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola and Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke of the PDP. It was held at 7 polling units in 4 local councils of Osun state on Thursday 27th September 2018.
City People can authoritatively reveal that Iyiola Omisore’s factor couldn’t not be underrated in Osun politics. He is a force to reckon with because he has been in Politics for decades. He was once a Deputy Governor and Senator in the state. Recall that he started off as Osun PDP governorship candidate before he defected and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), 4 months to the Osun governorship election.
The affected 4 local council areas ( Orolu, Ife South , Ife North and Osogbo) of the 7 polling units (Osogbo ward 5 unit 17, Ife Northward 10, unit 2, Orolu ward 8, unit 1 & 4, Orolu ward 9, unit 3, Ife South, ward 7, unit 12 and Ife South ward 8, unit 10) where the rerun election held are PDP strong hold, but the fact remains that mostly in Ife North and Ife South local government areas, Senator Iyiola Omisore and the PDP Deputy governorship candidate Hon. Albert Adeogun, are very strong there.
Looking at both PDP and APC’s score cards at the election, it is very clear that the defection of Senator Omisore from the PDP to SDP on the platform on which he contested the governorship election had adversely affectedPDP more than APC. So, the fact that both political parties (PDP and APC) needed the votes of the affected units in Ife North and Ife South local councils led to the moves by leaders of both parties to woo Omisore to support them.
Another fact is that Omisore, who joined SDP within a space of 4 months and still pooled 128, 000 votes has his structure in place across the state of Osun.Omisore is considered to be very key to the success of the rerun election, especially at Garage Olode in Ife South Local Council Area where his father, Oba Olajide Omisore, is the monarch. On Monday, 24th September, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who also doubled as the chairman PDP Osun Governorship election campaign team, led a powerful delegation to Senator Omisore’s Ife residence, where the Senate President wooed him ahead of the Thursday’s rerun election. According to Saraki,, the meeting was fruitful and he expressed confident that the PDP’s candidate, Ademola Adeleke, would win.
Barely 24 hours after the Senate President’s visit, Ekiti Governor-Elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Ogun governor, Senator Ibikun Amosun, two ministers, Kano Governor and the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomole, all stormed the Ife residence of Omisore to seek his support for the APC’s candidate, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, in the rerun poll.
Various reactions trailed the visits of both political party leaders as PDP claimed then, that Omisore had agreed to work for the success of PDP and its candidate, Ademola Adeleke. On the other hand, it was also gathered that APC was willing to give him a Senate ticket, 2 House of Reps and step down the case he has at the EFCC . It was, therefore, not surprising that Omisore agreed to work for APC. That became the hottest gist in town.
A day before the rerun, Iyiola Omisore put an end to the speculation as he addressed a press conference to declare his support for APC candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, who eventually won the election. That was a proof that Omisore is really incharge of Ife north and south local council areas. The SDP leadership, however, debunked the news that Omisore would work for APC at the rerun.
The decision to support the APC was based onOmisore’s interest and not that of the party. Aside Senator Iyiola Omisore’s impact on the rerun election, another APC factor that earned it victory was the Deputy Speaker, House of Reps, Rt. Hon Yusuf Lasun, who is representing the Irepodun/ Olurunda/ Osogbo / Orolu Federal Constituency. He was persuaded by the APC leadership to give his support as he is an APC leader in that federal constituency which is believed to be his strong hold.
This also led to the APC governors pleading withLasun to bury the hatchet and work for the interest of his party in the rerun. The Deputy Speaker pledged his support to ensure APC’s victory at the affected polling units in the two local councils under his watch. It will be recalled that Rt. Hon Lasun Yusuf was one of the leading APC governorship actually aspirants before he lost the ticket to Oyetola at the primary election held on 20th July, 2018.
Last weekend, Comrade Adams Oshiomole confirmed that the APC leadership actually had to enter into a deal with Omisore, but quickly added that Omisore was not bribed to support the ruling party in the just concluded governorship election in Osun State.
He said that Omisore was only assured by the APC that some programmes in the SDP manifesto would be implemented by the APC. “Omisore only extracted a firm commitment from the ruling party that it would implement some policy issues in the SDP manifesto” he explained.
But why is Omisore so powerful in the Ife axis? We can tell you that for free. Many people do not know that Senator Iyiola Omisore grew up and served as an altar boy in a Catholic Church in Ife! Only a few even know that he has royal blood running in his veins. There is a lot more about this Ife-born politician that will shock you.
How many people know that Senator Iyiola Ajani Omisore is a grandson of Lowa Omisore, besides the fact that his father is Oba David Olajide Omisore of Ayepe, Olode, Ile-Ife.
Let’s tell you more. He was born in Ile Ife, Osun State, on 15 September 1957 into a royal family. Senator Omisore is also a grandson of the Late Olufewara, Kabiyesi, Oba Titus Adetoba of the Oseganderuku ruling house in Ifewara, where his mother, Princess Emila Adejola, ruled as regent until her death in 2006. Iyiola grew up in a very large and extended family where diligence, integrity and community service were part of his heritage.
His parents were devout Christians and members of the SS Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Lagere Ile Ife. It was there he grew and served as an altar boy, learning both the value of giving as well as tolerance. It was at this point that Iyiola started demonstrating qualities of forthrightness; keen intellect and uprightness, which not only set him apart from his peers, but also prepared him for community leadership and service.
He had his primary education at the SS Peter and Paul Roman Catholic School in Ile-Ife and his secondary education at St. John Grammar School Ile Ife, Osun State from 1972 – 1977, where he excelled. He later attended Federal Polytechnic, Owo, in Ondo State, Nigeria. He later sat for and passed his Full Technological Certificate Examinations at the Technology College, Reading UK, and obtained a Diploma Certificate in Electrical/Electronics Engineering. He also holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Power and Machines at Brunnel University Uxbridge, United Kingdom, a postgraduate Certificate in Building Service and Engineering Management and a Masters of Science Degree in Building Services from the same University. Later, he went to Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK where he earned a Post Graduate Certificate in Mechanical Engineering and a M.Sc degree in Building Services Engineering.
At present, he holds a Ph.D in Infrastructure Finance from the International School of Management, Paris, France and he is currently undergoing his DBA programme at the same institution. In his pursuit of excellence, the Senator who, is equally a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, England and Wales, underwent several courses in different high profile institutions.
In January 2013, he completed and was awarded a Doctorate by the International School of Management in Paris. He majored in Procurement, Taxation, Corporate Governance, Infrastructure finance and Public Private Partnerships.
Senator Iyiola Omisore is not only an engineer and politician of note, he is an astute manager of resources whose attention to detail, calmness, and ability to simplify, and proffer solutions to complex issues is uncommon. In fact, his patriotic zeal and engineering acumen was brought to play when he was in the Senate between 2003 and 2011 and the country benefitted tremendously from it..
As a distinguished Yoruba man, whose impact has been felt across various towns in Yorubaland, Omisore has in his kitty different chieftaincy titles, all conferred by the kings of different towns in appreciation of what he has done to support community development and strengthen the contribution of traditional systems to public governance and order. He holds among many other chieftaincy titles the following:
- Apesin Oodua of the Source, •High Chief Lisa of Osogboland, •Bashorun of Ijeshaland •Asiwaju Balogun of Ibadanland, •Akinrogun of Edeland, •Maiyegun of Ijero Kingdom, •Seriki of Usi Ekiti, •Agbaakin of Ila Orangun, •Ashipa of Inisha Kingdom, •Otunba of Ipetu Modu, •Akinrogun of Ede and
- Otunba of Odo-Eku.
The recognition of his community service, traditional actions and philanthropy are not limited to Yoruba land. Dr. Iyiola Omisore has been further honoured with a title “Zege Huror u Kwande man ishan na” a title conferred on him by Kwande, Benue State in the Northern part of the country.
–Adeola shittu
