Abuja, December 5, 2025 – The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified seven high-profile aspirants, including former National Secretary Senator Iyiola Omisore, from contesting the party’s Osun State governorship primary scheduled for December 13, 2025. The decision has deepened existing divisions within the state chapter and triggered immediate pushback from affected camps.
The disqualifications were announced after the APC Screening Committee, chaired by Chief Obinna Uzoh, submitted its report to the National Working Committee (NWC) on Friday. The committee stated that the seven aspirants failed to meet mandatory nomination requirements, specifically the provision of sponsorship by at least five financially up-to-date and fully registered party members from each of Osun State’s 30 Local Government Areas, as stipulated in Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution and Paragraph 6(c) of the party’s governorship primary guidelines.
The disqualified aspirants are:
- Senator Iyiola Omisore, former deputy governor of Osun State and ex-APC National Secretary
- Babatunde Haketer Oralusi, Lagos-based businessman
- Oyedotun Babayemi, entrepreneur from Osogbo
- Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, founder of Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc
- Benedict Alabi, former deputy governor under Rauf Aregbesola
- Adegoke Rasheed Okiki (Kunle Rasheed Adegoke, SAN)
- Senator Babajide Omoworare, current senator and former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly
Only two aspirants were cleared to proceed: Mulikat Abiola Jimoh, a federal commissioner and daughter of the late Chief MKO Abiola, and Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, a former commissioner in Osun State.
The screening exercise, conducted over two days at Amor Hotel in Abuja, involved detailed review of nomination documents and one-on-one interviews. The committee described its process as thorough, transparent, and impartial, emphasizing that no aspirant was singled out. It also confirmed receiving a petition from the Osun APC Renewal Group dated November 14, 2025, which raised concerns about the eligibility and past conduct of some aspirants. Rather than act solely on the petition, the committee applied the same strict criteria to all nine candidates.
In its recommendations, the panel highlighted the lingering factional crisis within the Osun APC, particularly the divide between loyalists of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola and other tendencies. It urged the national leadership to immediately set up a reconciliation committee and ensure fair distribution of party positions, campaign roles, and future political appointments across the three senatorial districts to prevent further fragmentation ahead of the 2026 election.
Omisore Camp Rejects Report, Calls It “Unverified Rumour”
Hours after the story broke, the Osun Rescue Mission Team, the political structure backing Senator Omisore, issued a strong rebuttal. In a statement signed by its Director-General, Hon. Ajibola Famurewa, the group dismissed the disqualification reports as speculative and unconfirmed, urging supporters to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information.
“We wish to categorically state that these reports are unverified, misleading, and should be treated as mere speculation,” the statement read. “The leadership of the Rescue Mission Team is already engaging the appropriate organs of the party to ascertain the true position of things, and we are confident that due process, fairness, and the transparency our party upholds will prevail.”
Famurewa noted that the team had received widespread messages of solidarity from across the state and assured supporters that “truth will triumph over misinformation.” Sources within the Omisore camp indicate that a formal appeal has been prepared for submission to the APC Screening Appeal Committee, which begins sitting today in Abuja.
Broader Implications for Osun APC and 2026 Election
The development comes at a delicate time for the Osun APC, which has struggled to present a united front since losing the governorship to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2022. Governor Ademola Adeleke, who defected from the APC in 2018, is seeking re-election, and the PDP recently concluded its own primary on December 2, 2025, producing Adebayo Adedamola as its candidate.
Political analysts believe the mass disqualification may be interpreted by some as a deliberate effort by the national leadership to streamline the contest and install a preferred candidate, with Munirudeen Oyebamiji widely seen as enjoying quiet support in certain quarters due to his perceived neutrality in the state’s factional wars.
Observers warn that prolonged appeals or legal battles could disrupt the APC’s timeline and further alienate grassroots members. With the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) having fixed the Osun governorship election for August 8, 2026, time is not on the party’s side.
As the Screening Appeal Committee begins its work and the NWC prepares to take a final decision, all eyes are on whether the APC leadership will uphold the disqualifications, reverse them, or broker a last-minute consensus to avert a deeper crisis. For now, the Osun APC remains on edge, with the events of the coming days likely to shape the party’s fortunes in one of Nigeria’s most politically volatile states.
