Former Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has denied allegations of interfering with the screening process that led to the disqualification of several governorship aspirants from the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election. The claims emerged after Senator Iyiola Omisore and six other aspirants were barred by the APC Screening Committee due to inconsistencies in their nomination documents.
The disqualified aspirants include former Deputy Governor Benedict Alabi, former presidential aide Babajide Omoworare, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kunle Adegoke, businessman Dotun Babayemi, insurance expert Akin Ogunbiyi, and Babatunde Oralusi. Omisore, who previously served as APC National Secretary, rejected the decision, describing it as “the joke of the year.” He accused Oyetola of meddling in the exercise to favor Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, one of the cleared aspirants.
Omisore alleged that the screening chairman admitted to being under pressure to disqualify them, claiming that Oyetola had instructed the chairman to do so. However, Oyetola’s camp has firmly rejected the accusation. Dr. Bolaji Akinola, Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, described the claims as “baseless, misleading, and totally false.”
Akinola stated that Oyetola had no involvement in the actions or decisions of the Screening Committee or the Screening Appeal Panel, emphasizing that both bodies operated independently according to the APC Constitution. He urged aggrieved aspirants to utilize the party’s internal mechanisms for complaints and dispute resolution, appealing for calm among party stakeholders.
The APC primary election is scheduled to take place on December 13. The controversy surrounding the screening process has sparked tension within the party, with some aspirants seeking to appeal the decision. Oyetola’s denial of interference has aimed to reassure party members of his commitment to fairness and transparency. The outcome of the screening appeal and the subsequent primary election will be closely watched, as it may impact the party’s unity and the state’s political landscape.
