Abuja – Former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore, has described his disqualification alongside six other aspirants from the Osun State governorship race as “a huge joke,” accusing the party’s screening committee of unfairness and lack of credibility.
Omisore spoke with journalists after appearing before the APC Appeal Committee in Abuja on Saturday, insisting that the screening panel’s report lacked credibility and was influenced by external pressure.
The APC Screening Panel had on Friday disqualified Omisore and six others from participating in the forthcoming governorship primary election in Osun State. The other aspirants screened out were Babatunde Oralusi, Oyedotun Babayemi, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, former Deputy Governor Benedict Alabi, Adegoke Rasheed Okiki, and Senator Babajide Omoworare.
However, two aspirants, Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, were cleared to contest the primary.
Omisore dismissed the basis of the disqualification, saying neither he nor the other aspirants were formally informed of any shortcoming regarding the party’s mandatory nomination criteria. He said, “That panel report is the biggest joke of the year. It is unfortunate that partisanship has been taken beyond politics. We know the panel produced multiple reports, and the one submitted to the secretariat was not the original. As we speak, none of us has been shown the report or told why we were disqualified.”
The former APC national secretary further alleged that the screening committee chairman privately admitted to coming under pressure from Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, to disqualify all major aspirants in favour of Oyebamiji. “The chairman told us he was under pressure. Unfortunately, we are all victims of this,” Omisore said.
He also queried the panel’s claim that the aspirants lacked the required number of nominators, arguing that the party leadership has full access to the membership register. “He who alleges must prove,” Omisore said, expressing confidence that the National Working Committee (NWC) would overturn the screening committee’s decision.
Omisore added, “Even the committee’s own report said the party is factionalised and at risk of losing the election. So what exactly are we talking about?”
