Seven governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, led by former National Secretary Senator Iyiola Omisore, have vehemently protested their disqualification from the party’s December 13 governorship primary election. Describing the decision as “a complete farce” and “the biggest joke of the year,” the aspirants have accused the screening panel of bias, procedural breaches, and succumbing to intense political pressure.

The APC Screening Committee had cited alleged irregularities in the aspirants’ nomination documents, specifically a failure to submit proof of sponsorship from at least five fully registered and financially up-to-date party members in each Local Government Area. This requirement is stipulated in Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution and Paragraph 6(c) of the party’s guidelines. Those barred from the race include Senator Iyiola Omisore, Babatunde Oralusi, Oyedotun Babayemi, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, Benedict Alabi, Adegoke Rasheed Okiki, and Senator Babajide Omoworare. Only Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji were certified fit to contest.

However, Omisore, speaking on behalf of the affected aspirants, dismissed the grounds for disqualification, insisting that none of them received any formal communication outlining the alleged breaches. He questioned the committee’s assertion regarding nominators, pointing out that the party leadership already possessed complete access to the membership register and that the Ife zone alone boasted over 230,000 valid party members. Omisore further alleged that the screening panel, chaired by Chief Obinna Uzor, produced multiple, contradictory reports and that the one submitted to the secretariat was not original. He stated that the chairman personally admitted to aspirants that there was