Iyiola Omisore and six other aspirants disqualified from APC Osun governorship primary over nomination rule breaches

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified former National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, along with six other aspirants, from participating in the party’s upcoming Osun State governorship primary.

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The decision followed a report by the APC Screening Committee, chaired by Chief Obinna Uzoh, Esq., concluded on December 4, 2025, at Amor Hotel, Katampe, Abuja.

The committee cited failure to meet mandatory nomination requirements as the reason for disqualification.

The affected aspirants, including Sen. Iyiola Omisore, Babatunde Haketer Oralusi, Oyedotun Babayemi, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Benedict Alabi, Adegoke Rasheed Okiki, and Senator Babajide Omoworare, did not provide evidence of sponsorship from at least five fully registered and financially up-to-date party members from each Local Government Area in Osun State, as stipulated in Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution and Paragraph 6(c) of the party guidelines.

Only Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji were cleared to contest the primary.

The committee explained that its ruling followed a petition by the Osun APC Renewal Group alleging irregularities in some aspirants’ nomination processes.

To ensure fairness, the committee applied strict scrutiny to all nine candidates, resulting in the mass disqualification.

The outcome, which requires ratification by the APC National Working Committee (NWC), has sent shockwaves through the Osun APC.

Sources close to the disqualified aspirants described the decision as “politically motivated” and indicated plans to challenge it.

Senator Iyiola Omisore, a prominent figure in Osun politics and former deputy governor, was considered a frontrunner.

His exclusion, alongside other influential figures such as former Deputy Governor Benedict Alabi and ex-Senator Babajide Omoworare, significantly narrows the contest.

Party insiders report that an emergency meeting of the affected aspirants is already underway, with appeals expected to be filed before the NWC.

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The Osun APC governorship primary is scheduled to hold soon, with the eventual nominee set to challenge incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, who recently left the PDP while exploring alternative party options ahead of the 2026 election.