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By Dr. Dada Bukola Francis
Politics is full of moments that define leaders forever. For Senator Iyiola Omisore, that defining moment came in September 2018, during the controversial Osun State governorship election. Unfortunately, it was a moment he squandered.
The first round of the September 22, 2018 Osun State governorship election ended with Senator Ademola Adeleke of the PDP leading the race. Adeleke polled 254,698 votes, narrowly edging out APC’s Gboyega Oyetola who scored 254,345 votes. Omisore, contesting under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), finished third with 128,049 votes, a respectable tally that gave him the role of kingmaker.
INEC, however, declared the election inconclusive, citing irregularities in several polling units, and fixed a rerun for September 27, 2018. At this point, the future of Osun rested squarely on Omisore’s shoulders. His decision would determine whether Adeleke’s early lead would be consolidated, or if APC would snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
On September 26, 2018, in Ile-Ife, Omisore made his announcement:
“We have accepted to support the APC for victory in the rerun election tomorrow and thereafter form a coalition government.”
This declaration sent shockwaves across the political landscape. Many who once admired Omisore’s resilience were stunned that he would align with the very forces that the electorate had sought to reject.
While Omisore justified his decision by claiming his alliance was “with the people of Osun State irrespective of the political party they belong,” the backlash was swift. The national leadership of the SDP, under Chief Olu Falae, immediately disowned his move, insisting Omisore acted without authorization. Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-political group, went further by suspending him, citing betrayal of democratic principles.
By lending his support to APC, Omisore denied Adeleke what many considered a legitimate first mandate. That decision not only cost Adeleke four years of delay but also stripped Omisore of the credibility he had painstakingly built. What should have been his golden chance to etch his name on the honorable wall of Osun’s political history instead turned into a stain that has proven difficult to wash away.
When the Osun Governorship Election Tribunal on March 22, 2019 declared Adeleke the rightful winner of the 2018 election, the sense of injustice deepened. Even though the Supreme Court in July 2019 later affirmed Oyetola’s victory, the episode left many convinced that Adeleke had been robbed of his due. And Omisore was remembered not as a hero of democracy, but as a collaborator in its subversion.
Four years later, on July 16, 2022, Adeleke returned to the polls under PDP. This time, the people of Osun spoke emphatically, handing him 402,979 votes against Oyetola’s 375,077. The victory was more than an election result—it was redemption. It was the restoration of a mandate long delayed, and a symbolic rebuke to those who undermined the will of the people in 2018.
For Omisore, the contrast could not be sharper. Once a formidable force in Osun politics, his 2018 gamble has reduced his relevance. Even in Ile-Ife, his traditional stronghold, Adeleke’s light now shines brighter.
History is unforgiving when leaders squander their moment. Omisore had the chance to be remembered as a patriot who stood with his people at a critical juncture. Instead, he chose expediency, succumbed to political pressure, and was later discarded. His time has passed.
Today, Osun is under the leadership of Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke. His tenure is more than a political victory—it is a divine sanction, a new era that resonates with the people’s will. The slogan is no longer just campaign rhetoric but a reality:
Imole till 2030. Imole Lẹ́kan Sí iii.
Dr. Bukola Francis Dada is a Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State and aspirant for Boripe/Boluwaduro Constituency seat in the Osun State House of Assembly.
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