Omisore Faces National Backlash Over Attack on Oyebamiji, Oyetola

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• “An Aspirant Who As National Secretary Lost His Ward to PDP is Unfit For Gov’ship Ticket” – Netizens

Otunba Iyiola Omisore has come under intense verbal attacks from netizens across the country following his recent outburst against a fellow governorship aspirant, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), the former Osun State Commissioner for Finance and immediate past Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.

Omisore in a press conference held in Abuja yesterday was quoted accusing Oyetola of pressuring members of the APC Screening Committee to disqualify others for Oyebamiji.

He accused Oyetola of dropping the names of President Bola Tinubu to gain favour and impose his “lackey” on the party.

Omisore was widely condemned for allegedly describing Oyebamiji with unprintable names, including referring to him as a political novice and a lackey of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola. Many commentators have described the attack as politics taken too far.

Following the remarks, several social media users have resorted to quoting paragraphs from the book “My Participations” authored by the former Governor of Osun State and APC chieftain, Chief Bisi Akande, which they say contains weighty allegations against Omisore.

A netizen identified as Olawale, tweeting under the handle @olawale295877, wrote: “A lackey is far better than an arrogant, self-centred and disrespectful leader. I prefer to be a lackey to a serious, meticulous, respectful, decent and knowledgeable leader like Oyetola than to be a follower of a disillusioned and uncontrollable Hitler.”

Olawale further described Omisore’s remarks against Oyebamiji and Oyetola as “lamentations of an ambitious and selfish politician who failed three general elections back-to-back in 2011, 2014 and 2018.”

Another netizen, Wazobia, tweeting as @SuaibOlagoke directly under Omisore’s post on X (formerly Twitter), stated: “You are not a true leader. You are only desperate for power. You respect nobody, including the leaders of the party. Why must you be so desperate to the point of calling your fellow aspirant unprintable names? Are you greater than the structure of the party that disqualified you?”

Also reacting, Kazeem @muhammed7141 wrote: “Calling a co-aspirant ‘lackey’ clearly defines who Omisore is—arrogant, over-ambitious and desperate. He must properly be placed in his position.”

Another commentator, Dolapo Hassan (@DolapoHassanHero), who supported Omisore’s disqualification, said “a man with such a moral and public burden should not be given the APC ticket. Also, it is delusional that someone who as the National Secretary of the party lost his ward to PDP is bragging and insulting everyone over a governorship ticket. Even in 2019, APC lost in his polling unit. Go and verify: APC polled 98 votes while PDP polled 100 in that election. He is only banking on old glory. ”

He warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling government in Osun would weaponise Omisore’s past against the APC during elections.

Dolapo further referenced Chief Bisi Akande’s book “My Participations”, insisting that until Akande formally refutes the claims in the book, they remain valid and weighty. He cited excerpts where Akande alleged that Omisore was once perceived within party circles as a suspected advanced fee fraudster and certificate forger. In the book, Akande claimed he confronted Omisore over these allegations in 1998 and warned him to submit only genuine certificates for political documentation, a warning Omisore reportedly deflected by claiming his certificates were burnt during the Ife-Modakeke crisis.

The book also alleged that Omisore used Akande’s name without authorization to collect four Peugeot 504 cars meant for incoming governors in 1999, sending only one to Akande while appropriating three to himself. Akande further wrote that excuses ranging from robbery to accidents were later given for the unreturned vehicles.

Meanwhile, fresh details have emerged on the real reasons behind Omisore’s disqualification by the APC Screening Committee. Sources indicated that his inability to satisfactorily respond to questions regarding allegations of fraud during his tenure as APC National Secretary contributed significantly to his disqualification.

The screening panel was also said to have raised concerns over an allegation that Omisore received the sum of ₦2 billion from a former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, to support his Osun governorship ambition. Sylva is reportedly being investigated over an alleged sponsorship of botched military coup, an action viewed as a threat to the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Party sources further disclosed that President Tinubu had earlier communicated to Omisore his intention to support an aspirant from Osun West in recognition of the zone’s long-standing agitation. Omisore is from Osun East. However, the sources claimed that Omisore allegedly disregarded the President’s position and arrogantly went ahead to obtain the APC nomination form to unsettled the party.

It was also revealed that contrary to his public claims, Omisore lacks firm control of the party structure. He reportedly failed to meet the APC requirement that each aspirant must be nominated by five financial members from each local government. In several local governments, many of the individuals who purportedly endorsed his nomination were allegedly not found on the party’s revalidated membership register.

Members of the APC Screening Committee are now reportedly challenging Omisore to publicly present the documents he submitted to the committee, insisting that he is merely weeping up sentiment to gain undeserved sympathy following his disqualification.