Buhari shouldn’t have been in Nigeria Army — Omisore

SENATOR Iyiola Omisore contested the governorship election in Osun State on August 9, 2014 and lost according to the results declared by INEC. He has since approached the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal with the aim of upturning the election result. In this interview, Omisore expresses optimism that the outcome of the tribunal will be in his favour just as he boasts President Goodluck Jonathan’will win the February 14 presidential elections among other issues. Excerpts:

By Dapo Akinrefon

WHAT are your expectations from the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal, which judgement is being awaited?

I believe that with the proceedings at the tribunal, with what we saw, the witnesses, the evidence laid before the tribunal, the conduct of counsels and witnesses, the elections were not free and fair.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, also admitted that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, gave them more votes.

Free and fair election

*Omisore

There were some malpractices admitted by the APC, it shows that the election was not free and fair but was skewed in favour of APC.

I am not a lawyer, but I believe that if two parties, particularly the respondents agreed to irregularities and infractions, supposedly blaming it on the electoral process, then that process was not free.

That shows that the malpractices were huge and warrant that the tribunal declare the PDP and myself the winner of the elections.

You raised the issue of irregularities, what were those irregularities?

I do not want to pre-empt the tribunal.

What is your message to your supporters in the state ahead of the ruling?

My message is for them to be patient, hopeful and to keep perserving especially to Osun state indigenes because for the first time in 25 years, the people of the state have not been paid salaries since December.

Workders salaries are being owed for six months to workers, teachers and judiciary workers; Pensioners are being owed. In the last four years, there has been no single development in the state.

Aregbesola came with phantom contract awards particularly road constructions like the Sekona to Moro junction, Osogbo to Erin Ile (Kwara boundary) and the Osogbo inner roads which are worth about N49 billion, which the state cannot afford. All these projects have been abandoned, it is unfortunate that nothing is going on in the state.

He came to Lagos State for an airport show but the airport project is yet to commence. The recent scandal now is about the Osun schools, funds meant for the schools are being diverted. The allocation of the state goes to private purses.

I am sure everybody is aware that Aregbesola maintains a helicopter to run around. In the last budget, he spent N2 billion on hotels and entertainment while salaries are not being paid. No good road, no water, the health facilities are in comatose.

The people of the state are frustrated, all are plans but nothing is happening and this is making the people to be restive. They are also restive based on the coming judgement by the tribunal. I urge them to be law abiding citizens of the state.

Do you see the South West backing Jonathan in the coming election?

Those who are clamouring for change are only doing that because of their pocket. Since Boko Haram has endorsed the APC, I believe it is sad for a party to be associated with terrorism and terrorist tendencies.

We have seen that terrorism is being fought in every part of the world. I have also read that their activities are on the rise because of the electioneering campaigns. Using terrorism to campaign is not an issue because when you use it to campaign, it shows that you are not patriotic.

Campaign baits

You cannot use the lives of people as campaign baits. The APC is just desperate and you do not entrust a government to people who are desperadoes. I believe that Jonathan will come out tops at the polls.

Is Chief Obasanjo’s opposition to a second term for the president, not trouble for your party?

There is no how the APC can win elections for Buhari, it is not possible, if you look at the election results, you will see that we had more votes than the APC in all the local governments based on the genuine votes of the elections.

After the elections, the APC has become worse in Osun State and with that, I do not see Buhari scoring 25 per cent of the votes in Osun State. In Oyo State, it is the same thing, people are tired of the APC.

There are different parties contesting in the election and we are hopeful that these parties that do not have presidential candidates will adopt President Jonathan as their presidential candidate.

Comment on Obasanjo

It is the same thing in Ogun and Lagos State as well. The APC is just making noise. They are full of propaganda which does not turn to votes.

But some members of your party are saying that without reconciling with Chief Obasanjo, it might affect the chances of your party in the zone.

I do not want to comment on Baba Obasanjo because he has only one vote to cast on the day of the elections. He has his reasons, he is a statesman and he is a leader in his own right. But all the same, I believe that Obasanjo will vote for the PDP.

Pastor Tunde Bakare recently raised fears that either way the presidential election goes, violence will erupt, and has therefore advised for a postponement of next month’s general elections…

The timetable of the elections is with INEC. You know Tunde Bakare is a pastor. I do not pray for crisis in this country because you do not benefit anything from crisis. So I pray that nothing happens after.

But do you think INEC is ready?

My position is that people should be allowed to collect their Permanent Voter Cards. The Sultan and other Nigerians who are eligible to vote have said that they are yet to collect their PVCs, it shows that the commission is not ready and it is so unfortunate.

What is your take on the alleged issues concerning Buhari’s certificate?

Two things are clear now. First is that Buhari perjured and that should attract seven years imprisonment by law. He also said that he forgot but there is nothing like negligence in law.

He meant to deceive the people. He got a score in Hausa in 1961 from Cambridge but Hausa language exams did not start until 1964.

So, Buhari has been benefiting from this country without a certificate. He had no business in the Nigeria Army in the first instance.

Buhari is unfit to rule Nigeria. In an ideal situation, Buhari ought to have withdrawn from the race.

 Culled from Vanguard