The internal crisis within the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a dramatic turn on Saturday after former National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, openly criticised his disqualification from the December 13 governorship primary. Omisore described the move as “a complete farce,” alleging bias, irregularities, and political manipulation in the screening process.
Omisore, who addressed journalists in Abuja shortly after meeting with the APC Screening Appeal Panel, spoke on behalf of the seven aspirants disqualified by the screening committee. He accused former Osun State Governor and current Minister of Marine Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, of influencing the process to favour Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, who is widely perceived as Oyetola’s preferred candidate.
“People have taken partisanship beyond politics,” Omisore said. “The panel report is the jokiest report of the year. None of us has been shown the report or told why we were disqualified.”
Earlier in the week, the APC Screening Committee announced the disqualification of seven aspirants from participating in the governorship primary. Those barred include:
Senator Iyiola Omisore
Babatunde Oralusi
Oyedotun Babayemi
Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi
Benedict Alabi
Adegoke Rasheed Okiki
Senator Babajide Omoworare
Only two aspirants, Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji were cleared to contest.
The committee’s decision was based on claims that the disqualified aspirants failed to meet the nomination requirements under the APC Constitution. According to the party, Article 9.3(i), Article 31.2(ii), and Paragraph 6(c) of the party guidelines require aspirants to submit proof of sponsorship from at least five fully registered and financially up-to-date party members from each Local Government Area.
The screening panel alleged that the affected aspirants did not meet this requirement.
Omisore rejected the committee’s explanation, saying none of the aspirants received formal communication explaining the alleged breaches. He insisted that the screening panel produced multiple conflicting reports and that the version submitted to the party secretariat was not the original.
“As we speak, none of us has been shown the report or told why we were disqualified,” he said. “They said we didn’t have nominators—five per local government. But the law says he who alleges must prove.”
He added that the party already has access to its complete membership register and should have verified the nominations independently.
Omisore expressed frustration over what he called the lack of fairness and transparency in the process. He said the situation raised deeper concerns about internal democracy in the Osun APC and whether all aspirants received equal treatment.
“You can see that where you have disqualified people like us in any contest, where do we go from there?” he asked. “We are veterans, and this type of decision calls for caution.”
The Osun APC has been battling internal divisions for years, especially after the fallout between supporters of former Governor Oyetola and other party factions. Analysts say the latest development may signal a return to the factional battles that weakened the party ahead of the 2022 governorship election, which it lost to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Omisore’s strong words against Oyetola are seen as a sign that the battle for the party’s 2026 governorship ticket may be more contentious than expected.
Despite his anger, Omisore expressed confidence that the National Working Committee (NWC) would revisit the issue. He said the aspirants would make their individual cases before the appeal panel, hoping the screening decision would be overturned.
“The NWC, in their own wisdom, has the list of members of the party. We have over 13,000 party members who are financiers,” he said. “All of us aspirants are guilty of the same thing, the same system, the same way. That’s the issue, and it calls for caution.”
The appeal panel, he added, has assured every aspirant that their grievances will be heard individually. However, the panel has not given any indication of whether the disqualifications will be reversed.
The upcoming 2026 Osun governorship election is expected to be highly competitive. The APC is seeking to regain control from the PDP, led by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
For the APC, a smooth and credible primary is critical to presenting a united front. Any perception of unfairness or manipulation during the primaries could trigger mass defections or weaken support during the general election.
The disqualification saga comes at a difficult time for the party, which has struggled to reconcile its many factions since losing power in 2022. The party’s leadership had hoped to use the upcoming primary to rebuild internal unity, but the controversy surrounding the screening process may have the opposite effect.
As of the time of this report, neither Oyetola nor Oyebamiji has responded publicly to the allegations made by Omisore. Efforts to obtain comments from their aides were unsuccessful.
Oyebamiji, a former Commissioner for Finance in Osun State, is believed to enjoy strong support among Oyetola loyalists. His emergence as one of only two cleared aspirants further fuels claims of an organised attempt to shape the primary outcome.
The APC Appeal Panel is expected to conclude its sessions within days, after which it will submit its recommendations to the NWC. The NWC will have the final say on whether the disqualification stands or is overturned.
If the appeal cannot resolve the crisis, the Osun APC risks repeating the internal conflicts that weakened the party ahead of past elections.
For now, Omisore insists he will continue to fight for what he describes as fairness, transparency, and respect for party rules.
“Good things will happen,” he said. “But this situation calls for caution—for the sake of the party and for the sake of democracy.”
