The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified seven of the nine aspirants screened for the forthcoming Osun State governorship primary, including a former national secretary of the party and former senator, Iyiola Omisore. Also disqualified is a former two-term senator and former Lagos Assembly member, Babajide Omoworare.
The decision is contained in the report of the APC Screening Committee chaired by Obinna Uzoh, which concluded its assignment on 4 December at Amor Hotel, Katampe, Abuja.
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According to the report, the affected aspirants failed to satisfy the party’s mandatory nomination requirements, particularly the rule mandating sponsorship by at least five fully registered and financially up-to-date party members from each Local Government Area in Osun State.
“In the interest of fairness and transparency, the concerns could not be applied selectively. Every aspirant was subjected to the same scrutiny,” the committee stated.
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Seven aspirants fail nomination test
Those disqualified, apart from Messrs Omisore and Omoworare, are Babatunde Oralusi, Oyedotun Babayemi, Akinade Ogunbiyi, former Deputy Governor Benedict Alabi, and Adegoke Adekunle.
The committee said their failure to meet the nomination threshold contravened Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution, as well as Paragraph 6(c) of the party’s guidelines for the 2025 governorship primary.
PREMIUM TIMES reports that aspirants dissatisfied with the disqualification can challenge it at the appeals committee of the party and may further take the case to court.
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Only two aspirants cleared
Two aspirants, Mulikat Jimoh and Munirudeen Oyebanji, were cleared because they satisfied all constitutional and guideline requirements, including proper sponsorship from party members across all LGAs.
The screening committee, inaugurated on 3 December by the Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Duru, on behalf of the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, advised aggrieved aspirants to forward their complaints to the National Working Committee (NWC).
Committee defends decision
Mr Uzoh said the panel acted strictly in line with the APC Constitution and guidelines.
“The rules of the party are binding on all members without exception. Where an aspirant falls short of such a fundamental requirement, the committee has no choice,” Mr Uzoh said.
He confirmed that the panel’s decision was influenced by a petition from the Osun APC Renewal Group, which accused some aspirants of failing to meet the nominator requirement.
ALSO READ: Omisore has not resigned as APC National Secretary – Lawyer
“Rather than apply the petition to only two individuals, we extended the verification to all nine,” he added.
Ahead of 2026 governorship election
The Osun APC primary will produce the party’s flagbearer for the 2026 governorship election.
The eventual candidate is expected to face incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, who recently left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and is reportedly considering alternative political platforms for his re-election bid.
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