Tension has intensified within the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as seven governorship aspirants have accused the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, of orchestrating their disqualification from the 2026 governorship race to pave the way for his preferred aspirant.

Those disqualified include former APC National Secretary Senator Iyiola Omisore; former deputy governor Benedict Alabi; senior advocate Kunle Adegoke (SAN); former Senator Babajide Omoworare; Prince Dotun Babayemi; Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi; and Babatunde Oralusi.

In contrast, only two aspirants—former lawmaker Dr. Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and former NIWA Managing Director Bola Oyebamiji—were cleared to participate in the primary. Party insiders say Oyebamiji enjoys the strong backing of Oyetola.

Speaking in a jointly recorded briefing, Omisore and the other disqualified aspirants alleged that the chairman of the screening panel privately admitted coming under pressure to remove them from the contest.

“The report presented by the panel is not only shocking but the most ridiculous we have seen this year,” Omisore said.
“Up till this moment, none of us has been shown any official reason for our disqualification. The panel chairman informed us that Mr. Gboyega Oyetola insisted we must be disqualified because his preferred candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, must emerge.”

According to the aspirants, their appearance before the appeal committee did not provide any clarity or justification for the decision, a situation they describe as a violation of internal party fairness and an affront to democratic principles.

They called on the APC national leadership to urgently address what they consider a troubling attempt to undermine credibility and transparency ahead of the 2026 governorship election.