Osun APC: Omisore fingers Oyetola in touted guber disqualification

The All Progressives Congress (APC) screening committee has disqualified seven aspirants from the Osun State governorship primary race.

Among those barred is a leading contender, Iyola Omisore, who has publicly accused the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, of direct interference.

The committee, led by Chief Obinna Uzoh, cleared only two of nine aspirants: Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and Munirudeen Bola Oyebanji.

The disqualified list includes Omisore, Babatunde Haketer Oralusi, Oyedotun Babayemi, Dr. Akinade Akanmu Ogunbiyi, Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, Adegoke Rasheed Okiki Adekunle, and Sen. Babajide Omoworare.

Speaking after an appeal hearing, Omisore claimed the screening panel chairman confessed to being pressured by Minister Oyetola.

“The chairman of the panel told us that Minister Gboyega Oyetola called him that they must disqualify all of us because he wants his lackey, his poster boy, Oyebanji,” Omisore stated.

He dismissed the committee’s findings as “the jokest report of the year” and alleged the process was corrupted by bias and multiple versions of the report.

Omisore insisted the aspirants were given no official grounds for their disqualification and challenged the committee to prove its allegations.

The disqualified aspirant warned that the party is now dangerously factionalized, referencing internal committee notes that reportedly warned the APC could lose the upcoming election as a result of the crisis.

The development casts a shadow over the party’s primary, scheduled for December 13.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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