Table of Contents
- Dismissal of Allegations
- The Screening Process
- Rejection of Disqualification
- Oyetola's Response
- Commitment to Unity
Former Osun State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has rejected allegations that he influenced the screening process resulting in the disqualification of several governorship aspirants prior to the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in the state.
The allegations surfaced after Senator Iyiola Omisore and six other aspirants were disqualified by the APC Screening Committee on Friday, who cited inconsistencies and gaps in their nomination documents for the December 13 primary.
Those disqualified alongside Omisore 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 held the position of APC National Secretary, has dismissed the committee's decision, claiming that the report amounted to “the joke of the year.”
After appearing before the Screening Appeal Panel in Abuja on Saturday, he accused Oyetola of interfering in the process to benefit Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, one of the aspirants who was cleared.
According to Omisore, the screening chairman admitted that he faced pressure to disqualify them.
“The chairman of the panel informed us that Minister Gboyega Oyetola contacted him and insisted they must disqualify all of us because he wants his associate, his favored candidate, Oyebamiji. He told us he was under pressure. Unfortunately, we are in this situation together,” Omisore alleged.
However, Oyetola’s camp has strongly denied these claims. In a statement on Sunday, Dr. Bolaji Akinola, Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, characterized the allegations as “baseless, misleading, and completely false.”
He stated that Oyetola had no direct or indirect involvement in the actions or decisions of either the Screening Committee or the Screening Appeal Panel, emphasizing that both bodies function as “independent organs of the party fully authorized by the APC Constitution.”
“Oyetola did not, and could not have interfered in the screening exercise or the operations of the screening bodies,” Akinola said, adding that the former governor has consistently upheld fairness, transparency, and due process throughout his political career.
He urged dissatisfied aspirants to utilize the party’s internal mechanisms for complaints and dispute resolution, and called for calm among party stakeholders.
Akinola reiterated that Oyetola remains dedicated to the unity of the APC in Osun and to the broader welfare of the state’s residents.
Frequently Asked Questions
What allegations were made against Adegboyega Oyetola?
Allegations were made that he influenced the screening process that led to the disqualification of several governorship aspirants ahead of the APC primary election in Osun State.
Who were the aspirants disqualified by the APC Screening Committee?
The disqualified aspirants included Senator Iyiola Omisore, 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.
What was Oyetola's camp's response to the allegations?
Oyetola's camp described the allegations as baseless and emphasized that he had no involvement in the screening process, insisting that both the Screening Committee and the Screening Appeal Panel operated independently.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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