Omisore
By Oyinkansola Aremu
The APC’s screening committee just dropped a bombshell on the Osun governorship race: former party big‑wig Iyiola Omisore and six other hopefuls have been barred from the December 13 primary. The decision, announced in a six‑page report, came after the committee pored over nomination papers and found the aspirants didn’t meet the party’s strict rules.
Among the disqualified are Senator Iyiola Omisore, former deputy governor Benedict Alabi, Dotun Babayemi, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Kunle Adegoke (SAN) and Babatunde Haketer Oralusi. The committee said each of them failed to produce proof of sponsorship by at least five fully registered, financially up‑to‑date party members from every Local Government Area in Osun, a requirement spelled out in Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution and the 2025 primary guidelines.
The whole saga started with a petition from the Osun APC Renewal Group, which flagged the nomination shortfalls. The committee treated the complaint seriously, noting that the issues were “weighty, substantial and germane to the integrity of the screening process,” and applied the same scrutiny to all nine aspirants to keep things fair.
On the flip side, two candidates cleared the bar with flying colours: Hon. Mulikat Adeola Jimoh and Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji. The report says they “fulfilled regulatory conditions as stipulated by the party’s guidelines, the Constitution and the Electoral Act,” and were properly nominated by the required number of party members across all LGAs.
The disqualified hopefuls haven’t been shut out completely – they can still appeal to the APC National Working Committee and the Screening Appeal Committee, which is set to meet this Saturday in Abuja to hear their grievances . If the appeal fails, the two cleared aspirants will lock horns in the primary on December 13.
So, the Osun APC primary is now a two‑horse race, but the fallout from this decision could still stir up some drama within the party as they gear up for the 2026 governorship showdown. Keep an eye on the appeal hearings – you never know what twists might still be on the horizon!
