Politics

Omisore Condemns Osun APC for Disqualifying Him From Governorship Primary

Published by admin on December 7th, 2025.

Omisore Condemns Osun APC for Disqualifying Him From Governorship Primary

Iyiola Omisore

Former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore, has strongly criticized his exclusion from the party’s governorship primary in Osun State, calling the process “a complete charade” and accusing the screening panel of bias and procedural misconduct.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Saturday after appearing before the APC Screening Appeal Panel, Omisore—who addressed the media on behalf of the disqualified aspirants—alleged that former Governor and current Minister of Marine Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, influenced the screening exercise in favour of Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.

The APC Screening Committee had earlier disqualified Omisore and six others from participating in the December 13 governorship primary, citing alleged lapses in their nomination documents. Those affected include Omisore, Babatunde Oralusi, Oyedotun Babayemi, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Benedict Alabi, Adegoke Rasheed Okiki, and Senator Babajide Omoworare.

Only Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji were cleared to run.

According to the committee, the disqualified aspirants failed to provide evidence of sponsorship from at least five fully registered and financially updated party members in each local government, as required by the APC Constitution and primary guidelines.

Omisore, however, dismissed the committee’s claims, arguing that none of the aspirants received any official notification outlining the supposed irregularities.

He said, “That panel report is the biggest joke of the year. It is sad that some people have taken partisanship to an embarrassing level. Multiple reports were generated, and what was submitted to the secretariat is not even the original. Up till now, none of us has been shown the report or told how we were disqualified.”

He also questioned the claim that aspirants lacked the required nominators, pointing out that the party already has full access to the membership register.

“We haven’t been formally written to. So, what exactly was used to disqualify us? If you claim we didn’t submit nominators, the burden of proof is on you. They could have found another excuse, because that one doesn’t even hold,” he added.

Omisore said the development raises serious concerns about fairness and transparency in the party’s nomination process.

“You can tell from our pedigree that disqualification is not the word to use for people like us. We are veterans in this struggle. If people like us are pushed aside, then what direction is the party heading?” he said.

He expressed confidence that the National Working Committee would revisit the issue, noting that the situation reflects the widening internal divisions within the Osun APC.

“The NWC has the full membership data. We have over 13,000 financial members, and all aspirants used the same system. If we are all guilty of the same issue, then something is clearly wrong,” he concluded.