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Iyiola Omisore, chairman of the Senate committee on
appropriation, and a governorship aspirant in Osun State, spoke with MICHAEL
BAMIGBOLA in Osogbo. Excerpts:

His impeachment by the
State House of Assembly as deputy governor of Osun State.

I have forgotten everything that happened between Bisi Akande
and I. I am a Yoruba man from Ile-Ife, which is the source of all Yoruba, and
as a Yoruba man, I have to respect elders. Believe me, in all sincerity and
honesty, I owe no grudge against Chief Bisi Akande. God has only used him to
elevate me in life.

He thought he was persecuting me, but God was using him to
prepare higher ground for me. I may not be where I am now if not for Akande’s
victimization. God, who knows the end of a thing from the beginning, allowed
Akande to do all that he did for me to ensure my lifting in life. Recently, we
met at the airport and I greeted him. I will continue to greet him whenever I
meet him. The rest is now history.

The implosion of Alliance
for Democracy, under which he became deputy governor of Osun State in 1999.

I am sure you are aware that we had crisis in AD in 2001. AD
crisis actually started in year 2000, immediately after the election. When Bola
Ige was appointed minister by the PDP-led government and Afenifere disagreed
with him. That gave birth to Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), which culminated
in crisis in all the south western states. So, at that point in time, there
were factions in AD and that is why there is no strong personality in AD any
more in the South West.

The issue of leaving AD or not did not even arise this time
around because AD, as far as I am concerned, died in 2003, and whoever wants to
contribute his quota to the country politically must find his level. I joined
the PDP because I believe in the ideology of the party and I know I can
contribute to national development through the party.

The impression in certain
quarters that Osun State is lagging behind its mates in the south west.

I don’t agree with you. I don’t know where you get your
information. Going by the UNDP reports, Osun State has the largest critical
manpower in this country, and when you have human capital development, you have
everything. Osun State is the most urbanised state in this country, as you
know. The state is also blessed with a governor who knows the ways to develop
the state. By the time we came in, there were lot of crises and Oyinlola has
made the state stable in the last seven years. When you look at the state,
there is peace and this brings about development.

His work at the Senate to
ensure that meaningful budgets are passed at the appropriate time.

This is my third year as chairman, Senate committee on
appropriation, and I think we have always been working to ensure that budgets
are passed as at when due. None of my members is corrupt; neither am I corrupt.
There is nothing like corruption in the Senate. Mr. Akinyele is still alive,
maybe you heard about his name before. He was director of budget in 1983 during
the Shagari era, and I talked with him on budget matters. The 1980 budget was
signed in August 1980.

Luckily for us, this year’s budget is the fastest in the history
of this country because there is agreement between the Senate and House of
Representatives. There is a lot of work that budget involves. Many people don’t
really understand this. The interest of the 36 states, including Abuja, should
be balanced. Everybody wants everything and the money is not like the Ocean, it
is not limitless. The problems of this country are enormous and I am just
looking at some people the way they condemn government on what the government
is doing.

His ambition to govern
Osun State next year.

It’s good to have a plan, but I don’t contest at a wrong time.
There was no primary election I participated in that I lost. I won all my
primaries in the last 15 years. I believe this is God’s time and there is no
need to be doubtful. All what we should be praying for is that that God should
choose the best person for us.

I believe in God that I
will get the ticket of the party. In addition, I believe I am the choice of the
people of Osun State and the best person for the assignment. I have the
experience and the wherewithal to rule the state. Even when I was in detention,
my people voted for me and I won the senatorial election with wide margin. That
goes to tell you how much the people want me.

The reported insinuation
that the Ooni of Ife is not in support of his ambition

Kabiyesi is not a politician, and we should not drag him into
politics. The truth is that there are political differences amongst the people
of Ile-Ife. But that does not mean that the palace is part of the crisis. There
are about six people contesting the post under PDP from Ile-Ife, and it is
normal that everybody will have his or her preferred aspirant. The Palace of
Ooni belongs to Ife people and Ooni is our king, and we should preserve and
respect him as well. I want to tell you there is nothing of such and I want to
keep calm and remain focused.

Efforts of the Senate to
ensure early passage of Electoral Reforms bill

We at the National Assembly are not sleeping on the passage of
the Electoral Reforms bill. We are going to look at the submissions of Mr.
President, and define it with what we have on the ground. I must, however, say
that none of the members of the Electoral Reforms Committee has ever contested
election before. So, they are all paper recommendations. There is need to sit
down and look at it critically.

The crowded field of
governorship aspirants

It has become all comers race. In those days, before you can
come out to contest to become governor or Senator, you have to weigh yourself
first. Some people are supposed to contest for councillor and they are now
contesting for the governorship position. In politics, you have precedence.
What we have today is posters war. Everybody pastes posters everywhere because
they want to negotiate for positions and we have gone beyond that, for God’s
sake. There are more credible people, more experienced people who are within
the party that are not coming out to contest for the governorship position
because it is not their time.

Some of those who are contesting for governor today have not
worked in their life before. Governor is their first employment. I was asking
those people in AC in Ekiti State whether Fayemi has ever worked with anybody
in his life. I know he has not worked in his life. He wanted to go and serve in
Government House. These are the critical issues we need to look at and put
sentiments apart. We are not in Anambra State. How can we have 47 aspirants in
a state? There is no reason for anybody to be afraid of me. It’s because they
have nothing to offer. They want to bargain and bargain cheap at the end of the
day.