President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday met with APC governorship aspirants in Osun State. However, one notable absentee, according to details of the meeting shared by the presidency, is Iyiola Omisore, a former deputy governor and former senator in the state.
PREMIUM TIMES reports that Wednesday’s meeting occurred five days after the president’s party disqualified seven of the nine governorship aspirants in the state, including Mr Omisore.
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According to a report of the APC screening committee for the Osun governorship election, 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.
Mr Omisore, who was considered a strong contender for the APC governorship ticket, has rejected his disqualification and announced that he will appeal the decision of the screening committee.
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The disqualification of the seven aspirants is believed to have caused bad blood among party faithfuls; thus, the need for the meeting with the president.
At the end of the meeting attended by eight of the aspirants, they agreed to adopt a consensus candidate, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga wrote in a statement after the meeting.
“That we unanimously agree to abide by the party’s decision to nominate a consensus candidate for affirmation at the APC Primary Election scheduled for Saturday, 13th December 2025,” Mr Onanuga quoted a statement by the eight aspirants as stating.
Only two aspirants, Mulikat Jimoh and Munirudeen Oyebanji, were cleared by the screening committee, with one of the two expected to be the consensus candidate.
The APC candidate will challenge the candidates of other parties, including incumbent governor Ademola Adeleke, who recently defected to the Accord Party from the PDP and is now the Accord Party candidate.
Mr Onanuga did not state why Mr Omisore was absent from Wednesday’s meeting, nor whether he agreed to a consensus candidacy.
Mr Omisore was the APC national secretary when Mr Tinubu won the party’s presidential primary in 2023, but he appears not to enjoy the president’s support for his governorship bid.
Wednesday’s meeting was also attended by the APC leadership, including the national chairman of the party, Nentawe Yilwatda.
The aspirants in attendance also agreed to “work collectively and individually to ensure the success of the APC at the polls and the consolidation of good governance in Osun State,” the presidential spokesperson wrote.
Read the full statement by Mr Onanuga on the meeting below, ahead of next year’s governorship election in Osun.
STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE
PRESIDENT TINUBU MEETS OSUN APC GOVERNORSHIP ASPIRANTS, HARPS ON PARTY UNITY, CONSENSUS BUILDING
President Bola Tinubu has met with All Progressives Congress leaders and governorship aspirants in Osun State and appealed for unity and consensus-building ahead of the party’s primary on December 13.
The president met with the aspirants at the State House, Abuja, on Monday night.
The Osun State governorship aspirants who attended the meeting with the President include former Deputy Governor Benedict Alabi, Dotun Babayemi, Akin Ogunbiyi, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Kunle Adegoke (SAN), Babatunde Hareter Oralusi, Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.
Also in attendance at the meeting were the National Chairman of the APC, Nentawe Yilwatda; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; the Chairman of the Progressive Governors, Hope Uzodimma; and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.
President Tinubu, who praised all the aspirants for their contributions to the APC in Osun State, urged them to close ranks and support the consensus candidate the party will present for the governorship election in the state. He also advised them to avoid the internal bickering and disunity that caused the party to lose the last election in the state to the Peoples Democratic Party.
While harping on the importance of party supremacy, President Tinubu charged the aspirants to allow it to prevail in choosing the flagbearer, noting that only the party can benefit from it when it wins elections.
“You all have a duty and obligation to the party by ensuring the candidate of our party wins the next election in Osun State. You must strengthen the bonds of unity, party supremacy and collective responsibility. I have absolute confidence in your ability to deliver victory to our party in Osun State. You have my support and that of the National leadership of APC to win the coming election,” President Tinubu assured.
At the end of the meeting, a joint statement was issued in which the aspirants and the leaders committed to support the candidate who would emerge at the primary.
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Here is the statement signed by all the aspirants and the APC leaders:
“We, the undersigned aspirants for the 2025 Osun State Governorship Election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), having met and deliberated in the presence of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the National Chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and in the spirit of unity, discipline, and loyalty to our great party, hereby declare as follows:
1. That we affirm and uphold the supremacy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in guiding and determining the most appropriate process for selecting the party’s flag bearer for the 2025 Governorship Election in Osun State.
2. That we unanimously agree to abide by the party’s decision to nominate a consensus candidate for affirmation at the APC Primary Election scheduled for Saturday, 13th December 2025.
3. That we accept the outcome of the party-led nomination process in good faith, and pledge our total support to the candidate so nominated and affirmed.
4. That we commit ourselves to peace, unity, and cohesion within the APC, and pledge not to engage in any act, public or private, that may undermine the integrity of the process or the standing of the party.
5. That we will work collectively and individually to ensure the success of the APC at the polls and the consolidation of good governance in Osun State.
“We make this declaration voluntarily, in absolute loyalty to our great party, and in recognition of the guidance provided by Mr President and the National Chairman in the overriding interest of the progress and stability of Osun State”.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)
December 10, 2025
