Osun APC: Tinubu Meets Governorship Aspirants; Omisore Absent

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has waded into the escalating crisis threatening to divide the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, following the controversial exclusion of Senator Iyiola Omisore and several other aspirants from the party’s governorship screening exercise.

The intervention was confirmed in a statement posted on the official X handle of Renewed Hope United Kingdom, a diaspora support group aligned with the President. According to the group, Tinubu summoned key governorship hopefuls to a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.

The meeting, the statement noted, was convened to address the growing unrest within the Osun APC, concerns over transparency in the screening process, and fears that the party risked entering the governorship race sharply divided.

In attendance were top members of the APC National Working Committee, including the National Chairman; Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum; and former Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, who is believed to wield considerable influence in the state’s political structure.

However, the absence of Senator Omisore—whose disqualification has triggered fresh hostilities and allegations of internal bias—was conspicuous. The statement described him as “a key Osun APC figure whose disqualification has ignited fresh tensions,” raising concerns about how deeply the crisis has sunk within the party.

Tinubu’s intervention comes amid warnings from party leaders and stakeholders that failing to resolve the fracture early could undermine the APC’s cohesion ahead of the primaries and potentially weaken its chances in the main election.

Further details of the closed-door meeting were not disclosed, but party insiders say the President is keen on restoring confidence among aspirants and preventing any factional fallout that could jeopardise the APC’s chances in the state.