2014 GUBER ELECTION: ABUJA IMPOSITION OF OMISORE FURTHER DIVIDES PDP OSUN

The National Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reportedly adopted Senator Iyiola Omisore as the gubernatorial candidate of the party for the 2014 governorship election in the State of Osun, the decision which most of the members of the party in the state described as a continuation of the culture of impunity and disregard for internal democracy.

According to sources within the PDP the national caucus has also appeased former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade to drop his gubernatorial ambition and become Omisore’s running mate.

Akinbade, who is also a governorship aspirant under the PDP, has not acceded to the deputy governorship candidate offered him, according to informed sources.

It was gathered that that the PDP’s national caucus adopted Omisore’s as the party’s flag bearer last week following the directives from the presidency. President Goodluck Jonathan was said to have consented to Omisore’s candidature, making it difficult for aggrieved members of the party to protest the decision of the national caucus.

Information has it that President Jonathan adopted Omisore following the report from the National Secretariat of the PDP that the former Senator has both human and financial resources to challenge the re-election of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Bioreports  reliably gathered that Omisore earned the loyalty of the president and the national caucus of the PDP by allegedly compromising the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) to falsely accused Aregbesola of planning to turn Osun to an Islamic state.

However, the decision of the PDP’s national caucus did not go down well with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and majority of the chieftains of the party in Osun State, said sources.
Bioreports checks further revealed that Omisore’s adoption has further worsen the crisis rocking the PDP in the state, revealing that some of the party loyalists have vowed to drop the party if Omisore is eventually foisted on the party as its governorship candidate in the 2014 election.

A worried PDP member of the PDP, told Bioreports under anonymity early in the week in Osogbo that the national caucus has committed a great error by adopting Omisore as the party’s flag bearer.
She argued that Omisore lacks the credibility and the goodwill to contest with Aregbesola’s popularity, stating that majority of the PDP members are not even in support of the Ife born politician.

Meanwhile, the state executive of the PDP was said to have thrown its weight behind the decision of the national caucus. The development has further  worsened the factional crisis of the PDP in the state, as loyalists of  other governorship aspirants of the party, particularly Akinbade’s faction have rejected the decision of the national caucus.

The PDP chieftains are calling for a level playing ground through the conduct of a primary election for all the gubernatorial aspirants of the PDP, rather than the selection and adoption of Omisore by the national caucus.