Omisore Alledges Oyetola Of Engineering Rejection By Election Panel

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…I Have No Hand In The Screening Process —Oyetola

A Former Osun State Deputy Governor,

Iyiola Omisore, has accused the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola of engineering his rejection by the state Governorship Election Screening Committee.

OsunSpring recalls that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified Omisore and six other aspirants from participating in the forthcoming governorship primary election.

Addressing journalists after interacting with the Election Appeals Committee members, Omisore described his disqualification as the greatest joke, stressing that APC would be making a grave mistake by approving his disqualification without proper review and consideration of certain fundamental issues regarding the aspirants.

He alleged that the chairman of the panel disclosed that Oyetola had called him to disqualify other aspirant to ensure that Bola Oyebamiji becomes the party’s flagbearer.

According to him, it is quite unfortunate that people have taken partisanship beyond politics.

“We are aware that the panel members have two, three reports. The one taken to the APC Secretariat was not the original report. As we speak today, none of us has seen the report or told why we were disqualified. But you can know from our pedigree that the disqualification wasn’t the right word or the best thing to do for us because we are germane in this thing.

“We are the veterans of the party! You can see for yourself that where you have disqualified people like us in any contest, where do we go from there?

“The party is pointing at failure and the chairman of the panel told us that Minister Gboyega Oyetola called him saying that they must disqualify all of us because he wants his lackey, his poster boy, Oyebamiji to be the flagbearer.”

Asked to provide evidence to authenticate his allegation against the minister, Omisore reiterated that the chairman of the election panel actually said so, adding, “Yes, he told us that he was under pressure. Unfortunately, we are in it together.”

“We have the same reservations about the disqualification report. So far, so good all of us will meet the appeal panel individually. But I asked them, What are the allegations, because we haven’t seen any. We haven’t been written.

“So, what are the bases of the disqualification? You said we didn’t have nominators, five per local government. But the law says, he who alleges must prove. They should have used another method to disqualify us.”

Reacting to the report, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Bolaji Akinola, has dismissed claims by governorship aspirant Senator Iyiola Omisore

In a statement released on Sunday, Akinola described Omisore’s accusations as “baseless, misleading, and totally false,” stressing that the Minister had no involvement whatsoever in the decisions of the Screening Committee or the Screening Appeal Panel ahead of the December 13 primary.

According to Akinola, the committees responsible for screening aspirants are independent bodies recognised and empowered by the APC Constitution to operate without external influence.

“Dr. Oyetola did not, and could not have meddled in the screening exercise or in the affairs of the Screening Committee and the Screening Appeal Panel,” he said. “Any suggestion of undue influence is wrong, unfair, and completely unfounded.”

He noted that Dr. Oyetola’s long-standing adherence to fairness, transparency, and respect for party rules remains consistent, adding that the former Osun governor would “never interfere in a process where he has no statutory role.”

Akinola urged aspirants with concerns to follow the party’s official channels for complaints rather than resort to unsubstantiated allegations.

He reaffirmed the Minister’s unwavering commitment to the unity and progress of the APC, calling on stakeholders to prioritise the party’s stability and the interests of the people of Osun State.