In a dramatic turn of events, seven aspirants vying for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in Osun State have vehemently rejected their disqualification from the party's primary race. The aggrieved politicians, spearheaded by former APC National Secretary Senator Iyiola Omisore, have branded the decision a "politically motivated hatchet job" and an attempt to impose a candidate allegedly backed by the Presidency.
A Protest Labelled "The Biggest Joke of the Year"
The aspirants made their position known on Saturday, 6 December 2025, after lodging a formal protest before the party's appeal screening committee in Abuja. Addressing journalists, Senator Omisore did not mince words, describing the screening panel's action as "the biggest joke of the year." He accused powerful party insiders of orchestrating the move to edge out frontline contenders and pave the way for a preferred aspirant.
Omisore revealed that the screening panel, chaired by Obinna Uzoh, came under "intense pressure from powerful interests." He claimed the chairman personally informed the aspirants that calls were coming from "the Villa" demanding the disqualification of all major candidates. "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," Omisore alleged.
Contradictory Reports and Procedural Flaws
The APC Screening Committee had earlier disqualified seven out of nine aspirants. The affected individuals are:
- Senator Iyiola Omisore
- Former Senator Babajide Omoworare
- Babatunde Oralusi
- Oyedotun Babayemi
- Akinade Ogunbiyi
- Former Deputy Governor Benedict Alabi
- Adegoke Adekunle
The panel cited their failure to meet nomination requirements under Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution, and Paragraph 6(c) of the party’s guidelines.
However, Omisore dismissed these reasons, insisting the entire exercise was a "procedural mess." He argued that the aspirants were never confronted with specific allegations or shown evidence of non-compliance. "What are the accusations? We have not seen anything. Even our letters were not delivered to us. How do you disqualify people without giving them the basis?" he questioned.
He further revealed that the committee produced three contradictory reports and made a startling admission within one of them. "They even wrote in the report that APC is 'likely to lose the election' based on the screening," Omisore disclosed.
Hope Rests on the National Working Committee
The screening report included a clause stating that the party's National Working Committee (NWC) could overturn the disqualification. When asked if he believed the NWC would intervene, Omisore expressed cautious optimism. "I am hopeful. It was a fake screening. The NWC members know our pedigree. They know the truth," he stated.
He, however, declined to speculate on his next course of action should the NWC uphold the panel's decision, simply replying, "You can’t think ahead for us. Let’s get there first." The unfolding crisis threatens to create deep fractures within the Osun APC as the party prepares for the crucial 2026 governorship election.
