The All Progressives Congress, APC, has barred several top politicians including former deputy governor and ex National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, as well as another former deputy governor, Benedict Olugboyega Alabi from taking part in its December 13, 2025 Osun governorship primary.
Also disqualified were Dotun Babayemi, Akin Ogunbiyi, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Kunle Adegoke (SAN), and Babatunde Haketer Oralusi.
According to the report submitted on Friday, by the seven-member screening committee led by Barrister Obinna Uzor, only Hon. Mulikat Adeola Jimoh and Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji fulfilled all necessary conditions and are cleared to participate in the primary election.
According to the committee, both aspirants “fulfilled regulatory conditions as stipulated by the party’s guidelines, the Constitution and the Electoral Act”, thereby earning full clearance.
However, the panel forwarded the cases of the six disqualified aspirants to the National Working Committee (NWC) for a final assessment and possible clearance ahead of the shadow election.
In its six-page report, endorsed by all members, the committee stated that its decision was influenced by a petition submitted by the Osun APC Renewal Group.
The petition requested the disqualification of two aspirants, alleging that they did not meet the mandatory nominator requirements outlined in the party’s constitution and guidelines.
The panel stated that “upon careful review, the Committee found the issues raised in the petition to be weighty, substantial and germane to the integrity of the screening process.”
It added that, in the interest of fairness and uniform application of the rules, the same standards were applied to all nine aspirants.
“Accordingly, the Committee extended the same scrutiny to all nine aspirants, ensuring that every sponsor (nominator) of an aspirant was assessed on the basis of compliance with Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution and Paragraph 6(c) of the Guidelines,” the report noted.
At the end of the two-day exercise, the committee confirmed that only Jimoh and Oyebamiji “satisfactorily met all constitutional and guideline requirements of the APC, including proper nomination by the requisite number of fully registered, financially up-to-date party members from each Local Government Area.”
The committee noted that Senators Omisore and Omoworare, along with Babayemi, Ogunbiyi, Alabi, Adegoke, and Oralusi, did not satisfy the mandatory requirement of securing nominations from at least five financially compliant party members in each local government.
This condition is stipulated in Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution, as well as Paragraph 6(c) of the 2025 Governorship Primary Guidelines.
Meanwhile, the Screening Appeal Committee, led by Senator Tola Odebiyi, is expected to convene on Saturday in Abuja to consider petitions from the seven disqualified aspirants and any other aggrieved party members.