The APC’s rigorous screening process disqualifies seven aspirants, leaving only two candidates to contest the Osun governorship primary.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) had just finished a marathon meeting that would redraw the political map of Osun State.
On Friday. December 4, 2025, at Amor Hotel in Katampe, the party’s Screening Committee, chaired by the stern‑looking Obinna Uzoh, released a report that sent shockwaves through the state’s political elite.
In a move that many described as both bold and controversial, seven of the nine hopefuls who had thrown their hats into the ring were barred from the upcoming governorship primary.
The decision, anchored in the party’s constitution and a set of internal guidelines, left only two names standing: Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.
The committee’s verdict was not the product of a hasty whim. It was the culmination of weeks of paperwork checks, background inquiries, and a meticulous screening of each aspirant’s nomination forms.
At the heart of the disqualification lay a single, seemingly straightforward requirement: every candidate had to present sponsorship signatures from at least five fully registered, financially up‑to‑date party members in each of Osun’s 30 local government areas.
The rule, enshrined in Article 9.3(i) and Article 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution, as well as Paragraph 6(c) of the party’s guidelines, was designed to ensure that only those with genuine grassroots support could vie for the party’s ticket.
Among the fallen were some of the party’s most recognizable faces. Former National Secretary and two‑term senator Iyiola Omisore, who had built a reputation as a seasoned legislator, found his ambitions thruded by a paperwork shortfall.
Also out were Babatunde Haketer Oralusi, a charismatic youth leader; Oyedotun Babayemi, a former local government chairman; Akin Ogunbiyi, a businessman with deep pockets; Benedict Alabi, the state’s former deputy governor; Adegoke Rasheed Okiki, a vocal activist; and Babajide Omoworare, a former commissioner.
Their exclusion sent a clear message: no one, regardless of status, was above the party’s rules.
The committee’s report, signed by Uzoh and dated December 4, 2025, explained the rationale in measured language.
“The issues raised were weighty, substantial, and germane to the integrity of the screening process,” it read.
“In the interest of fairness and transparency, the concerns could not be applied selectively. Every aspirant was subjected to the same scrutiny.”
The phrasing underscored a deliberate effort to avoid any perception of favoritism, a concern that had haunted the APC in previous electoral cycles.
The disqualifications did not happen in a vacuum. Earlier in the year, the Osun APC Renewal Group, a faction within the party that has been pushing for internal reforms, filed a petition alleging that several aspirants had failed to meet the nominator requirement.
Rather than targeting the two individuals named in the petition, Uzoh’s committee decided to cast a wider net, applying the same verification to all nine hopefuls.
“That is the only way internal democracy can stand,” Uzoh told reporters, his voice echoing the sentiment that the party’s rules are binding on all members, without exception.
For the two survivors, Mulikat Abiola Jimoh, a former civil servant with a reputation for quiet efficiency, now faces the task of uniting a party that has just been forced to confront its own internal contradictions.
Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, a dynamic former local government chairman known for his grassroots mobilization, must also navigate the delicate balance between the party’s old guard and the reformist wave that has emerged in the wake of the screening controversy.
The primary itself is slated for early 2026, and the winner will go head‑to‑head with incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Adeleke’s sudden switch has added another layer of intrigue to an already crowded field.
The governor, a charismatic figure with a strong media presence, has hinted at exploring new political platforms for his re‑election bid, prompting speculation about possible alliances and the future of the state’s political landscape.
Beyond the personalities, the episode offers a broader commentary on the state of party politics in Nigeria.
The APC’s decision to enforce its nomination rules with such rigidity reflects a growing appetite for internal discipline and transparency.
In an era where electoral credibility is constantly under scrutiny, the party’s leadership appears eager to demonstrate that it can police its own ranks, even if it means upsetting long‑standing power brokers.
Yet, the screening saga also raises questions about the accessibility of the political arena.
Critics argue that stringent sponsorship requirements could inadvertently marginalize lesser‑known candidates who lack the networks to secure the necessary signatures.
Supporters counter that such measures are essential to prevent the kind of “godfatherism” that has plagued Nigerian politics for decades.
The debate is likely to continue as the primary approaches, with both sides using the outcome as a litmus test for the party’s commitment to reform.
The primary will determine who carries the APC’s banner into the 2026 governorship race.
