Omisore Leads Rejected APC Governorship Aspirants in Rejecting Screening Panel’s Decision in Osun

The crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State deepened on Saturday as six of the seven disqualified governorship aspirants, led by former National Secretary Senator Iyiola Omisore, rejected the screening panel’s decision. They described it as a politically motivated “hatchet job” that could undermine the party’s electoral prospects.

Out of nine aspirants who appeared before the committee, only two were cleared, while seven—including Omisore—were disqualified. Omooba Dotun Babayemi was not among the complainants.

Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved aspirants, Omisore dismissed the panel’s report as “the jokest report of the year,” alleging that multiple contradictory versions existed and that the one submitted to the party secretariat was not authentic.

“We are aware that the panel members have two, three reports. The one taken to the secretariat wasn’t the original report. As we speak today, none of us has seen their report or why we were disqualified,” Omisore said, asserting that their political stature made the decision laughable.

He went further, accusing the panel chairman of admitting that Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, pressured the panel to disqualify all aspirants to favor his preferred candidate, Wale Oyebamiji.

“Yes, he told us that he was under pressure. Unfortunately, we are in it together,” Omisore said. He also insisted that claims about failing to secure the required five nominators per local government were baseless.

Despite a provision in the screening report allowing the National Working Committee (NWC) to overrule the panel, Omisore rejected the idea that the NWC might reverse the disqualification. “The NWC in their own wisdom have the list of our party members, and we have over 13,000 members who are financiers. 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,” he said.

On the implications for the party’s electoral chances, Omisore pointed to media reports highlighting divisions within the APC. “Even the committee wrote there that the party is likely to lose the election. So what are you talking about?” he added.