The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the disqualification of a former national secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, and six other aspirants from participating in its upcoming governorship primary election in Osun state. This decision stems from their failure to meet crucial nomination criteria set by the party.

The other aspirants who were disqualified alongside Senator Omisore include Babatunde Oralusi, Oyedotun Babayemi, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, former Deputy Governor Benedict Alabi, Adegoke Rasheed Okiki, and Senator Babajide Omoworare. Conversely, two aspirants, Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, successfully passed the screening and have been cleared to contest the primary election.

This information was detailed in the report of the APC Osun Governorship Primary Election Screening Committee, which was chaired by Obinna Uzoh. The committee's findings indicated that the disqualified aspirants did not fulfill the party’s mandatory nomination requirements. Specifically, they failed to present sponsorship by at least five fully registered and financially up-to-date party members from each local government area within Osun state.

Obinna Uzoh emphasized the gravity and substantial nature of the issues raised, stating they were “germane to the integrity of the screening process.” He assured that in the interest of fairness and transparency, the concerns were applied uniformly, and every aspirant was subjected to the same rigorous scrutiny.

The panel chairman further clarified that the committee's actions were strictly in accordance with Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution, as well as Paragraph 6(c) of the party’s guidelines. Uzoh underscored that the party's rules are binding on all members without exception, leaving the committee with no alternative when an aspirant falls short of such a fundamental requirement.

Uzoh confirmed that the comprehensive review process was prompted by a petition filed by the Osun APC Renewal Group. This group had accused some aspirants of not meeting the essential nomination criteria. Rather than limiting the petition's application to just two individuals, the committee extended the same verification process to all nine aspirants, ensuring a consistent application of internal democratic principles.