Crisis in Osun PDP as odds favour Omisore for governorship ticket

The leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State is taking a new twist even as governorship election draws nearer.
It will be recalled that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had fixed August 9, 2014 for the governorship election while electoral guidelines had also been released by the body.
Investigation by Saturday Independent revealed that the growing influence of the former Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Iyiola Omisore, within the party has forced some of the gubernatorial aspirants to dump the party while those remaining, Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, former Minister of Youth Development and Hon. Oluwole Oke, former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Defence, may have been boxed to a corner over their ambition.
Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), had recently dumped the PDP for Labour Party (LP) and later PDM when he noticed that PDP still has influence in the party.
Besides, the personality clash between Omisore and embattled national secretary of the party and former governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is causing fresh ripples that will apparently unsettle the party for the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
It was gathered that the ministerial nominee just appointed from the state by President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Jelili Oyewale Adesiyan, is from the political camp of Omisore, an indication that he (Omisore) already has the control of the party in his camp.
It would also be recalled that the acting National Secretary of PDP, Professor Wale Oladipo, was also produced by the same camp while the party secretariat was also donated by Senator Omisore.
Omisore has since remained the major financial of the party in the state to the extent that four trailers load of rice were distributed to party members during the last Christmas and New Year season.
Investigation further revealed that the face-off between Oyinlola and Omisore was a result of the latter’s gubernatorial ambition and his growing influence.
Sources close to the party in the state revealed that the rift between Oyinlola and Omisore became more pronounced with Oyinlola’s stand against Omisore’s ambition. It was also learnt that Oyinlola blocked the chances of Omisore to become the National Coordinator of SURE-P when he was in office as National Secretary of PDP.
Omisore was said to have lobbied all necessary stakeholders, party leaders including the Senate leadership to occupy the SURE-P seat but the efforts were thwarted by Oyinlola.
This was said to be the reason Senator Omisore’s camp championed the removal of Oyinlola as National Secretary of PDP and his replacement with the nominee from Omisore’s camp through the approval of Southwest caucus of the party.
Though Oyinlola is still claiming to be in PDP, armed himself with recent Court Judgment, his camp may have vowed to retaliate the scheme should Omisore get the governorship ticket of PDP in the state.
Unconfirmed report revealed that Oyinlola has threatened to give Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) tacit backing should Omisore get the PDP governorship ticket.
Already, there have been alignment and re-alignment of PDP members into the various political camps in the party. For instance, some of the supporters of Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, former Secretary to the State Government under Oyinlola, who have refused to go along with him in dumping the party, have started negotiation with Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi’s political camp and Hon. Oluwole Oke while others have gone over to Omisore.