Iyiola Omisore
Encyclopedia
Iyiola Omisore, alias Otunba, is a Nigeria
n politician who served as deputy governor of Osun State
from 1999–2003, and represented the People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
(PDP) as a member of the Nigerian Senate for Osun East from 2003–2009, when his election was annulled by an electoral appeal tribunal.
, Uxbridge
,((west london)), United Kingdom
.
Omisore built up and funded an elaborate political machine to support his bid for Osun State Governorship as candidate for the Alliance for Democracy
(AD) in the 1999 election. However, the AD leadership decided to support Chief Adebisi Akande
as governor, leaving Omisore as candidate for the deputy governor position. The two men won, but their alliance feel apart when it became apparent that Akande would seek a second term rather than step aside in favor of Omisore. Akande was reported to have tried to have Omisore impeached, but was prevented by state assemblyman Odunayo Omobolanle Olagbaju.
Frustrated with Akande and the AD, Omisore prepared to transfer his allegiance to the PDP.
In December 2001, Odunayo Olagbaju was murdered.
On 23 December 2001, the Nigerian Justice Minister Bola Ige
was shot dead by gunmen who burst into his home. President Olusegun Obasanjo sent troops to restore order in south-western Nigeria.
Bola Ige was generally seen as the political sponsor of Governor Bisi Akande of Osun State. When Bola Ige had previously served as the civilian governor of Oyo State from 1979 and 1983, Akande was his deputy.
Omisore had accused Bola Ige of playing a role in frustrating his gubernatorial ambitions and helping governor Akande's re-election bid.
A prime suspect in the Ige murder alleged that Omisore had offered to pay him to do the job.
Eleven suspects were formally charged in the Ige murder in October 2002. Omisore was impeached by the state legislature in December 2002. Soon after he was arrested and detained in connection with the murder.
The trial of six of the eleven people accused of involvement in Bola Ige's murder, including Iyiola Omisore, started in March 2003 at an Ibadan
high Court. The trial started and stopped several times, and two judges resigned due to pressure and threats. Iyiola Omisore was elected to the Senate in Osun State while in detention.
Of the suspects charged in 2002 with the murder of Bola Ige, five, including Iyiola Omisore, were released in April 2003.
Speaking in court for the first time on 4 May 2004, Iyiola Omisore told the court he was innocent of the conspiracy and murder charges against him.
The Oyo State government applied to the court to drop murder charges against four associates of Senator Iyiola Omisore, but in July 2004 withdrew its application.
On 30 July 2003, Justice Moshood Abass, the third High Court judge to handle the trial, withdrew due to the "untold pressure... from unexpected quarters". Before withdrawing, the judge had ordered Omisore to be remanded in prison.
Later that month, the PDP leader in the Ife/Ijesa senatorial district of Osun State, Chief Joseph Obadare, stated that "We have uncovered a plot by some people to kill Senator Omisore in Agodi Prison before the end of the on-going trial."
Senator Omisore and the others on trial for the Ige murder were acquitted in November 2004.
In August 2006, his father Oba Olajide Omisore, was crowned as the first Olu of Olode Town in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State.
In September 2006, Senator Iyiola Omisore of the Senate Committee on Commerce was among the Nigerian officials at the Madrid International Fashion Week.
In May 2008, Iyiola Omisore was named as a member of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review (JCCR).
In September 2008, as Chairman of the Implementation Committee for the UNDP/National Assembly Support Program, Omisore said that everyone must be involved in deciding what forms part of the appropriation estimate for Niger Delta development.
In December 2008, Senator Omisore spoke in favor of using the nation’s accumulated external reserve to finance any revenue shortfall rather than borrowing from abroad.
In October 2008, Omisore was one of the Nigerian delegates to the 5th Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians in Santo Domingo
, Dominican Republic
.
In March 2009, Omisore attended the 24th International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management in Philadelphia, US
, where he discussed Constitutional Policy Frameworks And Solid Waste Management In Nigeria.
In May 2009, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) charged Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbane and Representative Ndudi Elumelu, Senate and House Committee Chairmen on Power in the National Assembly, with a 156-count charge of criminal conspiracy and breach of trust related to contracts for electrification. The EFCC was said to be searching for Iyiola Omisore to explain how the projects were smuggled into the 2009 budget.
In August 2009, Omisore expressed grave concern about abandoned projects in the country, and said the National Assembly had decided to include the list of abandoned projects in the budget.
In September 2009, as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Iyiola Omisore denied that the committee diverted N1.7 billion meant for the rehabilitation of Calabar-Itu and Calabar-Ikom roads in Cross River State
in the 2009 budget.
In an interview that month, talking on failure of the Federal government to implement projects, he said that the problem of carrying over budgets from one year to another causes confusion and enlarges corruption. There was also a shortage of qualified engineers for the projects. He blamed some problems on the military government that ruled until 1999, saying "You cannot correct errors of yesteryears in less than 30 years."
In another interview, he said that the new revenue formula that was in the works would give more money to the states, and not the federal government.
party, appealed against the result on the grounds that Omisore was not qualified to contest the election since he had been found guilty of official misconduct as deputy governor of Osun state, and that the election was marred by thuggery and other violations.
An election tribunal upheld the result.
Babjide Omoworare appealed this ruling.
In May 2009, Omisore appeared in court to defend himself against the petition disputing his election victory.
On 29 October 2009, the election appeals tribunal ruled that Otunba Omisore was qualified to contest the election.
However, the tribunal ruled that there had been widespread breaches of the electoral act during Omisore's election, including use of thugs to intimidate voters. The tribunal nullified the election.
The court ordered the electoral body to organise a fresh election within 60 days.
Speaking of the result a few days later, a spokesman for the Lagos State
chapter of the Action Congress welcomed the decision while calling for reforms to the electoral laws.
The Action Congress called on Omisore, and other candidates whose elections had been annulled, to return to the treasury the salary they had collected while serving without mandate.
Shortly before the court decision, Omisore was reported to have bought an expression of interest form for the Osun State governorship contest of 2011. The national leadership of the PDP said that the practice of selling nomination forms by its Osun State chapter was "fraudulent."
The PDP leadership later ordered its Osun State chapter to refund any money collected from governorship aspirants for the 2011 nomination forms.
Following Omisore's election annulment, the Osun State Chairman of the PDP urged the party’s supporters in Ijesa to mobilise support for Omisore's governorship bid.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n politician who served as deputy governor of Osun State
Osun State
Ọṣun State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria. Its capital is Osogbo. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east partly by Ekiti State and partly by Ondo State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west by Oyo State. The state's current governor is Rauf Aregbesola, who was...
from 1999–2003, and represented the People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP) as a member of the Nigerian Senate for Osun East from 2003–2009, when his election was annulled by an electoral appeal tribunal.
Background
Iyiola Omisore was born on 15 September 1957. He gained a Master of Science (In view) from Brunel UniversityBrunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
, Uxbridge
Uxbridge
Uxbridge is a large town located in north west London, England and is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. It forms part of the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is located west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres...
,((west london)), United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Osun State Deputy Governor
Iyiola Omisore served as Deputy State Governor of Osun State from 1999 - 2003.Omisore built up and funded an elaborate political machine to support his bid for Osun State Governorship as candidate for the Alliance for Democracy
Alliance for Democracy (Nigeria)
The Alliance for Democracy was a progressive opposition political party in Nigeria. It was formed on September 9th 1998. At the 2003 legislative elections, 12 April 2003, the party won 8.8 % of the popular vote and 34 out of 360 seats in the Nigerian House of Representatives and six out of...
(AD) in the 1999 election. However, the AD leadership decided to support Chief Adebisi Akande
Adebisi Akande
Abdukareem Adebisi Bamidele Akande was a governor of Osun State, Nigeria from 1999-2003, as a member of the Alliance for Democracy party, and is Chairman of the Action Congress party.-Background:...
as governor, leaving Omisore as candidate for the deputy governor position. The two men won, but their alliance feel apart when it became apparent that Akande would seek a second term rather than step aside in favor of Omisore. Akande was reported to have tried to have Omisore impeached, but was prevented by state assemblyman Odunayo Omobolanle Olagbaju.
Frustrated with Akande and the AD, Omisore prepared to transfer his allegiance to the PDP.
In December 2001, Odunayo Olagbaju was murdered.
On 23 December 2001, the Nigerian Justice Minister Bola Ige
Bola Ige
James Ajibola Idowu Ige simply known as Bola Ige was a Nigerian lawyer and politician. He became Federal Minister of Justice for Nigeria...
was shot dead by gunmen who burst into his home. President Olusegun Obasanjo sent troops to restore order in south-western Nigeria.
Bola Ige was generally seen as the political sponsor of Governor Bisi Akande of Osun State. When Bola Ige had previously served as the civilian governor of Oyo State from 1979 and 1983, Akande was his deputy.
Omisore had accused Bola Ige of playing a role in frustrating his gubernatorial ambitions and helping governor Akande's re-election bid.
A prime suspect in the Ige murder alleged that Omisore had offered to pay him to do the job.
Eleven suspects were formally charged in the Ige murder in October 2002. Omisore was impeached by the state legislature in December 2002. Soon after he was arrested and detained in connection with the murder.
Bola Ige murder trial
Omisore was held in detention without being formally charged until 12 March 2003, when he was arraigned. During this period, despite opposition from national PDP leaders, Osun State PDP officials continued to support Omisore's bid for the Senate.The trial of six of the eleven people accused of involvement in Bola Ige's murder, including Iyiola Omisore, started in March 2003 at an Ibadan
Ibadan
Ibadan is the capital city of Oyo State and the third largest metropolitan area in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of 1,338,659 according to the 2006 census. Ibadan is also the largest metropolitan geographical area...
high Court. The trial started and stopped several times, and two judges resigned due to pressure and threats. Iyiola Omisore was elected to the Senate in Osun State while in detention.
Of the suspects charged in 2002 with the murder of Bola Ige, five, including Iyiola Omisore, were released in April 2003.
Speaking in court for the first time on 4 May 2004, Iyiola Omisore told the court he was innocent of the conspiracy and murder charges against him.
The Oyo State government applied to the court to drop murder charges against four associates of Senator Iyiola Omisore, but in July 2004 withdrew its application.
On 30 July 2003, Justice Moshood Abass, the third High Court judge to handle the trial, withdrew due to the "untold pressure... from unexpected quarters". Before withdrawing, the judge had ordered Omisore to be remanded in prison.
Later that month, the PDP leader in the Ife/Ijesa senatorial district of Osun State, Chief Joseph Obadare, stated that "We have uncovered a plot by some people to kill Senator Omisore in Agodi Prison before the end of the on-going trial."
Senator Omisore and the others on trial for the Ige murder were acquitted in November 2004.
First Senate term 2003-2007
Iyiola Omisore was elected to the Senate for the Osun East constituency in April 2003 running for the PDP, while still on trial.In August 2006, his father Oba Olajide Omisore, was crowned as the first Olu of Olode Town in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State.
In September 2006, Senator Iyiola Omisore of the Senate Committee on Commerce was among the Nigerian officials at the Madrid International Fashion Week.
Second Senate term 2007-2009
Iyiola Omisore was reelected for Osun East in 2007. He was appointed to committees for Police Affairs, Housing, Culture & Tourism, Aviation and Appropriation.In May 2008, Iyiola Omisore was named as a member of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review (JCCR).
In September 2008, as Chairman of the Implementation Committee for the UNDP/National Assembly Support Program, Omisore said that everyone must be involved in deciding what forms part of the appropriation estimate for Niger Delta development.
In December 2008, Senator Omisore spoke in favor of using the nation’s accumulated external reserve to finance any revenue shortfall rather than borrowing from abroad.
In October 2008, Omisore was one of the Nigerian delegates to the 5th Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
.
In March 2009, Omisore attended the 24th International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management in Philadelphia, US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he discussed Constitutional Policy Frameworks And Solid Waste Management In Nigeria.
In May 2009, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is a Nigerian law enforcement agency that investigates financial crimes such as advance fee fraud and money laundering...
(EFCC) charged Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbane and Representative Ndudi Elumelu, Senate and House Committee Chairmen on Power in the National Assembly, with a 156-count charge of criminal conspiracy and breach of trust related to contracts for electrification. The EFCC was said to be searching for Iyiola Omisore to explain how the projects were smuggled into the 2009 budget.
In August 2009, Omisore expressed grave concern about abandoned projects in the country, and said the National Assembly had decided to include the list of abandoned projects in the budget.
In September 2009, as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Iyiola Omisore denied that the committee diverted N1.7 billion meant for the rehabilitation of Calabar-Itu and Calabar-Ikom roads in Cross River State
Cross River State
Cross River State is a coastal state in southeastern Nigeria, bordering Cameroon to the east. Its capital is at Calabar, and it is named for the Cross River , which passes through the state...
in the 2009 budget.
In an interview that month, talking on failure of the Federal government to implement projects, he said that the problem of carrying over budgets from one year to another causes confusion and enlarges corruption. There was also a shortage of qualified engineers for the projects. He blamed some problems on the military government that ruled until 1999, saying "You cannot correct errors of yesteryears in less than 30 years."
In another interview, he said that the new revenue formula that was in the works would give more money to the states, and not the federal government.
Nullified election
After Omisore's election in 21 April 2007, Babajide Omoworare, the candidate of the opposition Action CongressAction Congress
The Action Congress of Nigeria , formerly known as Action Congress , is a classical liberal Nigerian political party formed via the merger of the Alliance for Democracy, the Justice Party, the Advance Congress of Democrats, and several other minor political parties in September 2006. The party...
party, appealed against the result on the grounds that Omisore was not qualified to contest the election since he had been found guilty of official misconduct as deputy governor of Osun state, and that the election was marred by thuggery and other violations.
An election tribunal upheld the result.
Babjide Omoworare appealed this ruling.
In May 2009, Omisore appeared in court to defend himself against the petition disputing his election victory.
On 29 October 2009, the election appeals tribunal ruled that Otunba Omisore was qualified to contest the election.
However, the tribunal ruled that there had been widespread breaches of the electoral act during Omisore's election, including use of thugs to intimidate voters. The tribunal nullified the election.
The court ordered the electoral body to organise a fresh election within 60 days.
Speaking of the result a few days later, a spokesman for the Lagos State
Lagos State
Lagos State is an administrative division of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country. The smallest in area of Nigeria's states, Lagos State is the most populous state in Nigeria and arguably the most economically important state of the country and west Africa, containing Lagos, the...
chapter of the Action Congress welcomed the decision while calling for reforms to the electoral laws.
The Action Congress called on Omisore, and other candidates whose elections had been annulled, to return to the treasury the salary they had collected while serving without mandate.
Shortly before the court decision, Omisore was reported to have bought an expression of interest form for the Osun State governorship contest of 2011. The national leadership of the PDP said that the practice of selling nomination forms by its Osun State chapter was "fraudulent."
The PDP leadership later ordered its Osun State chapter to refund any money collected from governorship aspirants for the 2011 nomination forms.
Following Omisore's election annulment, the Osun State Chairman of the PDP urged the party’s supporters in Ijesa to mobilise support for Omisore's governorship bid.