Osun 2026: Cracks in APC as Omisore, Others Fault Disqualifications, Blame Oyetola

*Describe screening a huge joke

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

All seven governorship aspirants disqualified by the Osun State All Progressives Congress (APC) screening committee yesterday rejected the decision, describing it as the “biggest joke of the year.”The development reflected the deepening rifts within the APC in the State, even as one of those affected, who is former Deputy Governor and APC National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, and other aspirants pointed accusing fingers at the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola.The seven-man panel, led by Mr. Obinna Uzor, had on Friday disqualified seven of the nine aspirants vying for the party’s ticket ahead of the December 13 shadow election.

Besides Omisore, others affected were the immediate past Deputy Governor Benedict Olugboyega Alabi; Dotun Babayemi; Akin Ogunbiyi; Senator Babajide Omoworare; Kunle Adegoke (SAN); and Babatunde Hareter Oralusi.The committee cited failure to meet nomination requirements under Articles 9.3(i), 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution, and Paragraph 6(c) of the party’s guidelines. In its 6-page report, the panel cleared only Hon. Mulikat Adeola Jimoh and Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, stating that they had fulfilled the regulatory requirements under the party rules and the Electoral Act.

At a joint press conference after submitting their appeals, Omisore called the disqualification a politically motivated move, alleging that the screening panel chairman faced “intense pressure from powerful interests” aiming to sideline leading aspirants in favour of a preferred candidate allegedly supported by the presidency.The aggrieved aspirants accused party insiders of attempting to manipulate the process and impose their preferred candidate on the contest.

“This report is the joke of 2025,” he declared. “People have taken partisanship beyond politics. The committee wrote three contradictory reports: one to the secretary, one to the leadership, and another to someone else. Even as we speak, none of us has received anything officially. They told us the Villa wanted their candidate.”The former APC national secretary alleged that the screening chairman personally informed aspirants that specific figures were pushing for the disqualification of all major contenders to pave the way for a favoured aspirant.“The chairman told us from day one that phone calls were coming from everywhere,” he said. “He told us outright that ‘they want to disqualify all of you because their candidate is from the Villa.’ So, what happened is not surprising.”According to Omisore, the entire two-day screening exercise was a procedural mess.He noted that, at the time of addressing reporters, none of the disqualified aspirants was aware of the specific allegations against them, nor had they been provided evidence of non-compliance.

“What are the accusations? We have not seen anything,” he said. “Even our letters were not delivered to us. How do you disqualify people without giving them the basis?”His words: “It is quite unfortunate that people have taken partisanship beyond politics. We are aware that the panel members have two or three reports. The one taken to the secretariat was not the original report. As we speak today, none of us has seen their report, and we were disqualified.“But you can know from our pedigree that the disqualification was not the right word to use for us because we are germane in this thing. We are the veterans! You can see for yourself that where you have disqualified people like us in any contest, where do we go from there?”

He added: “The party is pointing at failure, and the chairman of the panel told us that Minister Gboyega Oyetola called him that they must disqualify all of us because he wants his lackey, his poster boy, Oyebamiji.”“But I asked them, what are the allegations, because we have not seen any. We have not been written. So, what are the bases of the disqualification?  You said we did not have nominators, five per local government. Nevertheless, the law says, he who alleges must prove. They should have used another method to disqualify us.

“As a person, I look forward to good things in my life. The NWC, in its own wisdom, has the party’s membership list, and we have over 13,000 party members who are financiers. Furthermore, all of us aspirants are guilty of the same thing, the same system, the same way. That is the issue, and it calls for caution.”The governorship hopeful faulted the committee’s claim that most aspirants failed to meet the nomination threshold.Citing his own Senatorial zone, Omisore noted that the Ife zone alone had over 230,000 valid party members.

Asked to share what transpired between him and the panel, Omisore said, “I am the only one who has met them. However, we have the same reservations. So far, it is going well, and we will all meet the appeal panel individually.

“I asked them what the allegations are because we have not seen any. We have not been written. So, what is the basis of the disqualification? You said we did not have nominators, five per local government. However, the law says he who alleges must prove. They should have used another method to disqualify us.

When asked if he is hopeful of the leeway provided by the screening committee through the National Working Committee (NWC), Omisore said: “I am hopeful. It was a fake screening. The NWC members know our pedigree. They know the truth.”

He, however, declined to speculate on his next move if the NWC upholds the disqualification.

“You cannot think ahead for us,” he replied. “Let us get there first.”

Meanwhile, another disqualified aspirant, Omoba Dotun Babayemi, said he was at the screening appeal to plead with the NWC through the committee.

“I am not here to protest or challenge the verdict of the screening committee, but to appeal NWC through the screening appeal committee to review the decision and clear me to contest the primary election.

Only four of the disqualified aspirants appeared before the panel by the time the report was being filed.