Osun Guber Race: APC Screening Committee Bars Omisore, six Other Aspirants

Osun Guber Race - APC Screening Committee Bars Omisore, Six Other Aspirants

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a decisive step in the buildup to the 2026 Osun State governorship election by disqualifying seven aspirants, including former National Secretary Senator Iyiola Omisore, from participating in its primary.

The announcement came after the party’s Screening Committee, chaired by Chief Obinna Uzoh, concluded its report on December 4, 2025, at Amor Hotel, Katampe, Abuja.

According to the committee, the disqualification was based on failure to meet mandatory nomination requirements stipulated in the APC Constitution and party guidelines. Specifically, the aspirants did not provide evidence of sponsorship by at least five fully registered and financially up-to-date party members from each Local Government Area in Osun State, as required under Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution and Paragraph 6(c) of the party’s guidelines.

The affected aspirants include Senator Iyiola Omisore, Babatunde Haketer Oralusi, Oyedotun Babayemi, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Benedict Alabi, Adegoke Rasheed Okiki, and Senator Babajide Omoworare.

Their exclusion significantly reshapes the contest, narrowing the field to only two cleared candidates: Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.

This development is particularly striking given Omisore’s earlier declaration of intent to contest the 2026 governorship election on the APC platform, which he announced via his verified X account in October 2025. His disqualification, alongside other prominent figures, underscores the party’s strict enforcement of internal rules and signals a potentially contentious primary ahead.

The decision has already stirred political discourse within Osun State and beyond, as stakeholders weigh the implications for APC’s chances against rival parties in the forthcoming election.

With only two aspirants cleared, the primary is expected to be a tightly contested affair, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown in Osun’s political landscape.