Party Rules Upend Osun Guber Race: APC Bars Omisore, Six Others
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified a former National Secretary of the party and ex–Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, alongside six other governorship aspirants, from participating in the December 13, 2025 primary election.
The decision was contained in the report of the Screening Committee headed by Obinna Uzoh, which found that the affected aspirants failed to meet key constitutional and procedural requirements stipulated by the APC for governorship hopefuls.
According to the committee, Omisore and the other disqualified aspirants were unable to provide evidence of sponsorship by five registered and financially up-to-date party members from each local government area in Osun State — a mandatory prerequisite for clearance.
The disqualified aspirants include:
- Sen. Iyiola Omisore
- Benedict Olugboyega Alabi
- Dotun Babayemi
- Akin Ogunbiyi
- Babatunde Haketer Oralusi
- Kunle Adegoke (SAN)
- Babatunde Omoworare
Their disqualification followed a petition submitted by the Osun APC Renewal Group, which alleged serious violations and inconsistencies in the nomination documents submitted by some aspirants. The committee noted that the petition raised “weighty and germane issues” that warranted thorough investigation.
After applying the same criteria to all nine aspirants screened, the committee cleared only two:
- Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji
- Mulikat Abiola Jimoh
The development has triggered shockwaves within the Osun APC, with insiders hinting that some disqualified aspirants may approach the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) for redress — a move that could deepen internal divisions as the 2026 governorship contest draws closer.
The APC leadership is expected to release the final list of cleared aspirants after the appeals window closes.