At least seven Osun State governorship aspirants under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have stepped down after meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday. They have all agreed to support Bola Oyebamiji as the consensus governorship candidate in the forthcoming primary. The meeting, called by President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, was boycotted by one of the aspirants, Iyiola Omisore. Omisore had earlier described his disqualification from the primary as a joke. The aspirants who stepped down include former Deputy Governor Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, Dotun Babayemi, Akin Ogunbiyi, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Kunle Adegoke, Babatunde Haketer Oralusi, and Mulikat Abiola Jimoh.

Former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Iyiola Omisore, has described as a joke and embarrassment their disqualification from the Osun APC primary election. Omisore made this statement on Tuesday during an interview on Arise Television monitored by ourcorrespondent. The former lawmaker said that there is a limit to what a party can do in candidate disqualification, adding that the Electoral Act says nomination of a candidate is not the prerogative of any party. THENEWSCREDIT reports that the APC Screening Committee had disqualified Omisore and six other aspirants from participating in the December 13 governorship primary over alleged irregularities in their nomination documents. Those barred from the race with him include Babatunde Oralusi, Oyedotun Babayemi, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, Benedict Alabi, Adegoke Rasheed Okiki, and Senator Babajide Omoworare. Reacting, Omisore said, “In Osun State, we lost election in 2022. After the loss, we did a post mortem how we lost election led by the former Minister of Health, Isaac Adewale. “The report was submitted and pointed at the fact that the then governor Gboyega Oyetola made us to lose election. And the report said that there are three or four of his cabinet members who aided the loss. “So it became a problem for the state all over. So that is why we now believe that way further, we should do a thorough primaries. Unfortunately, former governor Oyetola is now sponsoring one of those aiders of the election losses. “So the entire state leadership is against his position, and he started to impose the candidate on the state. And I want to really explain that I don’t want you to drag President Bola Tinubu to this matter. “The President is a leader of the country. He has done well for everybody. He has fair to all concerned. “So in a bit of it as a mixture and confusion about it, we want to win election 2026 so we cannot go the same way, the same route we went to lose election in 2022.”

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party. The governor announced his defection at a stakeholders meeting held at the government house in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. Fubara joined a host of his colleagues who have defected to the APC this year.

ABUJA: The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress APC in Osun State deepened on Saturday after six of the seven disqualified governorship aspirants, led by former National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, rejected the decision of the screening panel, describing it as a politically-motivated hatchet job that threatens the party’s electoral chances. Only two of the nine aspirants who appeared before the screening committee were cleared, while seven—including Omisore—were disqualified. Omooba Dotun Babayemi was not part of the complainants. Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved aspirants, Omisore dismissed the report as “the jokest report of the year,” alleging that the panel submitted multiple contradictory documents and that the version taken to the party secretariat was not the authentic report. “We are aware that the panel members have two, three reports. The one taken to the secretariat wasn’t the original report. As we speak today, none of us has seen their report or why we were disqualified,” Omisore said, insisting that their political pedigree made the decision laughable. “You can see for yourself that when you disqualify people like us in any contest, where do we go from there? The party is pointing at failure”, he added. The former APC National Secretary further made a damning allegation against the chairman of the screening panel, claiming he admitted that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, ordered that all the aspirants be disqualified to pave the way for his preferred candidate, Wale Oyebamiji. “He told us that Minister Gboyega Oyetola called him that they must disqualify all of us because he wants his lackey, his poster boy, Oyebamiji,” Omisore said. When asked to clarify whether the panel chairman indeed made such a confession, he responded, “Yes, he told us that he was under pressure. Unfortunately, we are in it together.” Omisore, who has so far been the only one among the disqualified aspirants to meet with the appeal panel, said he demanded to know the specific allegations against them since none had been communicated. According to him, the claim that they failed to secure the required five nominators per local government was baseless. “The law says he who alleges must prove. They should have used another method to disqualify us,” he said. Although the screening report contained a proviso empowering the National Working Committee NWC to overrule the panel, Omisore rejected any speculation that the NWC might uphold the disqualification. “You can’t shave my head for me. Why don’t you say the NWC will cancel the report of the panel? Why are you pessimistic? “The NWC in their own wisdom have the list of our party members, and we have over 13,000 members who are financiers. All of us aspirants are guilty of the same thing, the same system, the same way. That’s the issue, and it calls for caution”, he said. Asked about the implication of the crisis for the party’s chances in the forthcoming governorship election, Omisore was blunt, pointing to even media reports acknowledging the divisions within the APC. “You reported that the party is factionalized. Even the committee wrote there that the party is likely to lose the election. So what are you talking about?” he said.

A former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has criticised his disqualification from the party’s Osun State governorship primary, describing the decision as “a huge joke” and accusing the screening panel of bias and procedural lapses. Speaking on behalf of the aspirants after meeting the APC Screening Appeal Panel in Abuja on Saturday, Omisore alleged undue interference by former Governor and Minister of Marine Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, to favour Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji. The APC Screening Committee had earlier barred Omisore and six other aspirants from contesting the governorship primary scheduled for December 13, citing alleged irregularities in their nomination forms. The disqualified aspirants included Omisore, Babatunde Oralusi, Oyedotun Babayemi, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Benedict Alabi, Adegoke Rasheed Okiki, and Senator Babajide Omoworare. According to the committee, the aspirants failed to provide evidence of sponsorship from at least five fully registered and financially up-to-date party members in each Local Government Area of the state, as required by Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution and Paragraph 6(c) of party guidelines. Only Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji were cleared to contest the primary. Omisore rejected the grounds for disqualification, saying none of the aspirants had been formally notified of any specific infractions. He said, “Well, that panel report is the jokiest report of the year. It is quite unfortunate that people have taken partisanship beyond politics. “We know the panel produced multiple reports, and the one submitted to the secretariat was not the original. As we speak, none of us has been shown the report or told why we were disqualified. He also questioned the committee’s claim that some aspirants lacked the required number of nominators, noting that the party leadership had full access to the membership register. “I am the only one who has met them. But we have the same reservations. 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 to. 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,” Omisore said. He described the process as raising broader concerns about fairness and transparency within the party’s nomination system. “But you can know from our pedigree that the disqualification wasn’t the right word to use for us because we are germane in this thing. We are the veterans! You can see for yourself that where you have disqualified people like us in any contest, where do we go from there?” he added.

Osun State chapters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Adedamola Adebayo have expressed contrasting interpretations of the Supreme Court ruling on the issue of withheld local government allocations. This is as each claimed victory while issuing warnings to their supporters and opponents. These reactions were expressed in separate statements made available to THENEWSCREDIT on Saturday in Osogbo. The Osun APC through its Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, said the party applauded the Supreme Court’s judgement, describing it as a reinforcement of the July 2024 ruling which affirmed financial autonomy for local government councils in the state. The party said the verdict again nullified the actions of the alleged illegally elected PDP chairmen and councillors. The APC, however, criticised the Osun State House of Assembly for passing the Local Government Accounts Administration Bill, 2025, shortly after the judgement was delivered. It described the move as “unconstitutional and an attempt to undermine the court’s decision.” The statement read, “The bill is unconstitutional and a failed attempt to scuttle the Supreme Court’s judgment in July 2024 over financial autonomy for the local governments, which was by implication reinforced today in another Supreme Court judgement where the Osun State Government and ‘sit-at-home appointed chairmen and councillors’ lost gallantly.” The party questioned the speed with which lawmakers passed the bill, alleging that the legislators were “ignited by the fire of legal battle they ignorantly and maliciously initiated.” It insisted that the rule of law had prevailed with the latest verdict. The APC which added that the legislation was intended to weaken the authority of local government chairmen and councillors reinstated under its platform stressed that the bill will not stand and urged members of the public to hold the lawmakers accountable. It warned the Assembly against measures it claimed were designed to mislead residents. The party also alleged that some individuals were impersonating members of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, describing the act as criminal. The statement added, “In case the ‘sit-at-home’ purported local government council chairmen do not have an adviser, recourse may be made to knowledgeable people to educate them that their useless suit at the Supreme Court was struck out.” Meanwhile, the PDP governorship candidate for the 2026 Osun election, Adebayo, also welcomed the ruling but offered a different interpretation of its implications. Adebayo, who secured 919 votes in the party’s primary held on Tuesday, said the verdict paved the way for PDP-elected chairmen to assume office. In a statement issued in Osogbo, he urged party members to celebrate the judgement peacefully and cautioned them against any form of lawlessness. He noted that the party had maintained decorum throughout the legal proceedings and should continue to do so. Adebayo said, “We received the verdict of the Supreme Court with joy as it eventually affirmed our position all the while. The PDP is the ultimate beneficiary of the sound judgement of the court and, by extension, those elected on the platform of the party should also celebrate this victory.” He warned political opponents against violence and vowed to use legal means to ensure that PDP-elected council leadership assumed control of the local government areas without disruption. The governorship candidate commended the discipline displayed by PDP members since the case began, adding that such behaviour would contribute to the development expected from those elected to public office. “I urge our supporters to remain committed to the party as the next election approached,” he said. Our correspondent had reported that the Supreme Court on Friday struck out a suit filed by the Osun State Government seeking to compel the Federal Government to release withheld allocations to local governments in the state. A seven-member panel ruled six to one that the suit lacked legal competence. Earlier reports indicated that both the PDP and APC-aligned Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON members had claimed victory following the ruling, each welcoming the court’s decision

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has barred several top politicians including former deputy governor and ex National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, as well as another former deputy governor, Benedict Olugboyega Alabi from taking part in its December 13, 2025 Osun governorship primary. Also disqualified were Dotun Babayemi, Akin Ogunbiyi, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Kunle Adegoke (SAN), and Babatunde Haketer Oralusi. According to the report submitted on Friday, by the seven-member screening committee led by Barrister Obinna Uzor, only Hon. Mulikat Adeola Jimoh and Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji fulfilled all necessary conditions and are cleared to participate in the primary election. According to the committee, both aspirants “fulfilled regulatory conditions as stipulated by the party’s guidelines, the Constitution and the Electoral Act”, thereby earning full clearance. However, the panel forwarded the cases of the six disqualified aspirants to the National Working Committee (NWC) for a final assessment and possible clearance ahead of the shadow election. In its six-page report, endorsed by all members, the committee stated that its decision was influenced by a petition submitted by the Osun APC Renewal Group. The petition requested the disqualification of two aspirants, alleging that they did not meet the mandatory nominator requirements outlined in the party’s constitution and guidelines. The panel stated that “upon careful review, the Committee found the issues raised in the petition to be weighty, substantial and germane to the integrity of the screening process.” It added that, in the interest of fairness and uniform application of the rules, the same standards were applied to all nine aspirants. “Accordingly, the Committee extended the same scrutiny to all nine aspirants, ensuring that every sponsor (nominator) of an aspirant was assessed on the basis of compliance with Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution and Paragraph 6(c) of the Guidelines,” the report noted. At the end of the two-day exercise, the committee confirmed that only Jimoh and Oyebamiji “satisfactorily met all constitutional and guideline requirements of the APC, including proper nomination by the requisite number of fully registered, financially up-to-date party members from each Local Government Area.” The committee noted that Senators Omisore and Omoworare, along with Babayemi, Ogunbiyi, Alabi, Adegoke, and Oralusi, did not satisfy the mandatory requirement of securing nominations from at least five financially compliant party members in each local government. This condition is stipulated in Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution, as well as Paragraph 6(c) of the 2025 Governorship Primary Guidelines. Meanwhile, the Screening Appeal Committee, led by Senator Tola Odebiyi, is expected to convene on Saturday in Abuja to consider petitions from the seven disqualified aspirants and any other aggrieved party members.

The Osun State Peoples Democratic Party caucus in the House of Representatives has warned Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to “stay away from Osun affairs.” The caucus rejected what it described as illegal governorship primaries that, on Tuesday, produced Adebayo Adedamola as PDP’s governorship candidate for 2026. In a statement, signed by six members of the caucus on Wednesday, the lawmakers called on Makinde to desist from actions “capable of threatening the political stability of Osun State.” Signed by Bamidele Salam, Mudashiru Alani, Akanni Ademola, Adewale Adebayo, Adetunji Olusoji and Oladebo Omoleye, the statement condemned the purported primaries as being orchestrated “with thugs and political jobbers” allegedly imported from Ibadan, Oyo State. According to the caucus, this conduct portrays Makinde as “a treacherous character whose desperation for regional political influence has pushed him into untoward conduct.” They said, “It is laughable that the Oyo State governor does not understand, or chooses to ignore, the fact that the PDP has laid down procedures for the conduct of primaries, which include elections of ward ad-hoc delegates and national delegates, without which no valid primaries can be conducted. “Unequivocally reject the fraudulent conduct of a purported primary,” warning that anyone parading themselves as the PDP’s candidate would be “tantamount to a criminal impersonation and an attempt to provoke the peaceful and law-abiding leaders and members of the PDP in Osun state.” They also chided Makinde for exporting “impunity, recklessness and sham to Osun State,” even though Osun already has “a decent sitting governor who carries everyone along in major decision-making.” The lawmakers pledged to uphold the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and counselled that anyone interested in contesting the 2026 Osun governorship election must “play by the rules.” They further urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to disregard the purported primary results and to align with the PDP constitution and guidelines. The root of the present mess stems from a deep internal leadership crisis at the national level of the PDP. Factions led by different power blocs — including a wing associated with Governor Seyi Makinde (notably the faction led by Kabiru Turaki) are at odds with rival factions loyal to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike. This struggle has disrupted the normal functioning of the party’s national organs. As a result, key national officers responsible for organising congresses and primaries and transmitting candidate names to INEC have been suspended or counter-suspended. That institutional paralysis has made it impossible for many state chapters (including Osun) to conduct legitimate primaries. On November 4, 2025, Governor Adeleke formally resigned from the PDP, blaming the decision on the ongoing national leadership crisis.

The Peoples Democratic Party has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of failing to protect Nigerians at home, on the streets, and in their workplaces. The party’s National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki, made the remarks on Tuesday while briefing journalists in Abuja. The briefing took place at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, where the Turaki-led National Working Committee has been meeting since the Nigerian Police Force sealed the PDP national secretariat in November amid a supremacy battle between two opposition camps within the party. Addressing reporters, Turaki criticised the government’s security record and called for a review of strategies to make the nation safer. “We believe the situation in this country is such that Nigerians are not safe on the streets. Nigerians are not safe in their places of work — be it in offices, on farms, or in markets. Nigerians are also not safe in their homes. “The situation where every citizen lives in perpetual fear, walks in perpetual fear, and conducts business in perpetual fear is something that must change,” he said. The former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs also criticised the Federal Government for failing to meet the basic expectations of an elected administration. “With the spate of kidnappings and killings occurring across the country, the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government has really not lived up to the expectations of Nigerians. “We therefore call on the Federal Government to brace up and, most importantly, consider a review of the country’s security architecture. “We in the PDP believe that a situation where governors are called chief security officers of their respective states, yet have no control over the operational activities of the military and security personnel in their states, is something that needs to be overhauled,” he said. On preparations for the Osun State governorship election, Turaki said the NWC was satisfied with developments so far. “This afternoon, we reviewed, confirmed, and approved the congresses held in Osun State to select ad-hoc delegates. We have also reviewed and confirmed the processes of the ongoing gubernatorial primary election, and we are satisfied with the reports from the field. “Everything is being conducted in an orderly, transparent, fair, and rancour-free manner. That is vintage PDP,” he said. Regarding litigation involving the party, Turaki added, “We have reviewed some of the cases filed against us, and those we have filed — particularly the one relating to the unlawful closure of our offices, the Legacy House and Wadata Plaza. The brief from our lawyers indicates we are on sound ground, and very soon, the law will take its course.” Turaki said the new NWC was scrutinising handover notes from the previous leadership to ensure continuity. “We have also begun examining the handover notes that the outgoing executives provided. We will be painstaking in our consideration of those notes to ensure there is no gap whatsoever in continuing the good work of the outgoing National Working Committee. For us in the PDP, it is a long continuum, so there will be no gap,” he said. On the fate of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, and nine others expelled by the PDP national convention in Ibadan, Turaki confirmed that certificates of expulsion had been dispatched to them. “We have considered the issue of members expelled by the national convention in Ibadan. Nigerian law frowns on dual membership of political parties, so we sought to make it straightforward for them. Now that they are no longer PDP members, and the national convention — the highest decision-making organ of our party — has expelled them, we have issued certificates of expulsion. These certificates have been dispatched via courier to the 11 expelled persons,” he said, displaying the certificates. He urged INEC, the Nigerian Police, and other security agencies to note that the affected persons are no longer PDP members. On Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke’s status within the party, Turaki emphasised that changing political platforms is a constitutional right. “If he decides, either in person or via a representative at the primary, that he has withdrawn or refused to participate, that will form part of the report we receive. As far as we are concerned, even if what we saw on social media is true, Governor Adeleke, like any Nigerian, has the constitutional right to freedom of association. He is free to move on and join any political party,” he said. He also noted that former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu, recently nominated as ambassador-designates, have yet to officially notify the party of their nominations.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday projected a renewed sense of direction as its new National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki, SAN, declared that the opposition won’t be silenced. He spoke in Abuja after receiving handover documents from the former chairman, Umar Iliya Damagum, in a ceremony that marked a fresh chapter for the party. The event, held at the Bauchi Governor’s Lodge on Tuesday, brought together top members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and other senior figures. Damagum formally handed over a two-volume record of his stewardship, a gesture aimed at smoothing the transition and giving the new leadership a clear picture of where the party stands. “This handover for us is part of our responsibility… There is no better time than now; it is better late than never,” Damagum said, noting that the delay was due to the extensive process of compiling the documents. He said the materials would help the new NWC navigate the many political and internal challenges the PDP is currently facing. “I know it comes at a time when we are bedevilled by many challenges. The beauty of the PDP is its ability to surmount obstacles and continue doing what is right,” he said. Reinforcing his confidence in the party’s standing, Damagum argued that the PDP remains the strongest alternative platform in the country despite attempts to undermine it. “Every day, we cross one hurdle; they place another before us, we cross it and continue. All this happens by God’s blessing,” he stated. He added that the PDP’s resilience has always rested on faith and fairness. “You may have temporary respite through your injustices, but when God’s justice descends, then you realise that He alone is absolute,” he said. In his response, Turaki commended Damagum and his team for presenting a thorough handover report and for maintaining continuity in party administration. “Immediately after our election in Bauchi, you promised to prepare a comprehensive handover note… Today, that pledge has been fulfilled,” he said. Turaki also raised concerns about what he described as deliberate efforts by certain interests to weaken the PDP because of the threat it poses in national politics. “We are at a crossroads, because some believe the PDP must be killed, must be destroyed, must be isolated simply because of the threat we pose today. But in a democracy, you should live and let others live,” he said. He reaffirmed the new NWC’s commitment to internal reforms, transparency and fairness, saying the party must return to its grassroots base. “We promised there would be no impunity, no injustice, a level playing field, transparency and fairness. We still stand by that pledge we made in Bauchi,” he declared. Turaki said the leadership would carefully study the two-volume handover report and use it to guide their decisions in the months ahead. “Once again, I want to assure Nigerians that the PDP is on the rise again, and there is no stopping us,” he said. The handover ceremony added momentum to the PDP’s broader push to rebuild unity, tighten its structures and strengthen its role as the country’s leading opposition platform