Omisore blasts Osun APC guber panel, says his disqualification ‘a huge joke’

Former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has denounced his exclusion from the party’s Osun State governorship primary, labelling the decision “a huge joke” and accusing officials of bias and procedural misconduct.

Omisore spoke in Abuja on Saturday after he and other aspirants met with the APC Screening Appeal Panel. He alleged that the process was influenced by former Governor and current Minister of Marine Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, in favour of fellow aspirant Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.

The screening committee had earlier ruled out Omisore and six others from participating in the December 13 primary over what it described as inconsistencies in their nomination documents.

Those disqualified were Omisore, Babatunde Oralusi, Oyedotun Babayemi, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Benedict Alabi, Adegoke Rasheed Okiki, and Senator Babajide Omoworare. According to the committee, they did not present the mandatory proof of sponsorship from at least five financially up-to-date party members in each Local Government Area, as required under Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution, as well as Paragraph 6(c) of the guidelines.

Only Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji were cleared to contest.

Rejecting the decision, Omisore insisted that none of the aspirants had been formally informed of any wrongdoing.

“Well, that panel report is the jokiest report of the year. It is quite unfortunate that people have taken partisanship beyond politics,” he said.

He also questioned the credibility of the committee’s documentation, claiming, “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.”

Omisore maintained that the committee’s claims regarding insufficient nominators were unfounded given the party’s access to its membership register.

“I am the only one who has met them. But we have the same reservations. So far, so good. All of us will meet the appeal panel individually. But I asked them, ‘What are the allegations, because we haven’t seen any.

“We haven’t been written to. So, what are the bases of the disqualification? You said we didn’t have nominators, five per local government. But the law says, he who alleges must prove. They should have used another method to disqualify us,” he said.

He argued that the situation reflected deeper issues about transparency and internal democracy in the party.

“But you can know from our pedigree that the disqualification wasn’t the right word to use for us because we are germane in this thing. We are the veterans! You can see for yourself that where you have disqualified people like us in any contest, where do we go from there?” he added.

Omisore expressed optimism that the National Working Committee would revisit the matter, suggesting that the controversy highlighted divisions within the Osun APC.

“As a person, I look forward to good things in my life. The NWC, in their own wisdom, have the list of members of the party, and we have over 13,000 members of the party who are financiers.

“And all of us aspirants are guilty of the same thing, the same system, the same way. That’s the issue, and it calls for caution,” he said.