Osun Guber: SDP, ADP, ADC merger talks collapse

The governorship candidates of the SDP, ADC, and ADP met on Wednesday evening in Osogbo to discuss a merger plan

Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Osogbo

Attempts by the major opposition political parties in Saturday’s governorship election to present a common governorship candidate may have hit a wall.

Daily Sun gathered that the governorship candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Senator Iyiola Omisore, African Democratic Congress (ADC) Alhaji Fatai Akinbade and Action Democratic Party (ADP) Alhaji Moshood Adeoti met on Wednesday evening in Osogbo to discuss a merger plan.

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The meeting which was held behind closed doors, it was gathered, lasted till yesterday morning and the three candidates agreed to address a press conference after the meeting but only Omisore showed up for the press conference.

Both Adeoti and Akinbade did not show up for the press conference held at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) press centre, Osogbo and no reason was given for their absence.

However, when a call was put across to Adeoti by Omisore before reporters at the press conference, Adeoti said “I am at a meeting with my supporters and I will soon be going out for campaign.”

Omisore while addressing the press one hour after he had waited for the two other candidates stated that the three political parties share different political ideologies, hence, the inability to merge ahead of the election.

He alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has concluded arrangements to rig Saturday’s election, just as he exposed their alleged plans to instigate the arrest of opposition figures in the state.

Omisore urged voters to defend their votes during the election, alleging that the APC was prepared to
rig with the aid of the police and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He also alleged that the state government was planning to ensure that members of the O’YES volunteer corps serve as electoral personnel during the election.

The SDP governorship candidate blamed Governor Rauf Aregbesola for the economic crisis in the state, saying that the present government is economically reckless.

“The APC government in Osun State is reckless and it lacks fiscal discipline. We must ensure that this corrupt government is chased out of Osun State. We are not sure if the PDP has a candidate because the party is in daily crisis. PDP is in crisis in Osun and SDP is the only hope of the masses,”he said.