The APC Screening Committee announced that Omisore and the others did not meet the required conditions in their nomination forms. The committee said the aspirants failed to show proof that they were sponsored by at least five registered and financially updated party members in each local government area, as stated in the party constitution and guidelines. Only two aspirants, Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, were cleared.
Omisore, a former National Secretary of the APC, met with the Screening Appeal Panel in Abuja on Saturday along with other disqualified hopefuls. He said the decision to remove them from the race lacked clarity and due process. He argued that none of the aspirants had been informed of any errors in their forms or given any formal notice before the committee made its decision public.
He also claimed the process was influenced by key figures within the party, alleging that some senior leaders, including a former governor, were working to ensure a preferred aspirant had a smooth path into the primary. He said the way the committee handled the screening raised concerns about fairness and order in the selection process.
The barred aspirants met the appeal panel separately, but they shared the view that the grounds for their removal were unclear. Omisore said they were accused of lacking the required nominators, even though the party had full access to its membership records. He argued that the burden of proof rested on the party officials who made the claims and insisted that the committee should have followed a clearer method.
He stated that the process had created doubts about internal unity in the Osun APC and said it was troubling to see experienced members cut off from the contest without clear reasons. He maintained that the National Working Committee had the authority to review the situation and could still reverse the decision after examining the concerns raised.
Omisore said he was hopeful that the appeal process would bring a fair outcome. He added that all the aspirants faced the same circumstances during the submission of their forms and that the party leadership should take a careful approach as it decides the next steps.