President Bola Tinubu has intervened in the widening crisis within the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, following the controversial disqualification of Senator Iyiola Omisore and several other aspirants from the upcoming governorship primaries.
The development, confirmed in a statement shared on the official X handle of the Renewed Hope United Kingdom, a diaspora support group for the president, revealed that Tinubu held a closed-door meeting on Tuesday with leading Osun APC governorship aspirants at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the statement, the meeting was convened to address rising tensions over the screening process, internal mistrust, and fears that the party could enter the election season deeply fractured.
According to the statement, the meeting was attended by the APC National Working Committee leadership, including the National Chairman, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, and former Osun Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
However, the absence of Omisore—described as “a key Osun APC figure whose disqualification has ignited fresh tensions”—was notable.
His non-attendance fueled speculation that he remains aggrieved over what many within the party are calling “selective disqualifications” by the screening committee.
The Renewed Hope UK statement quoted President Tinubu as urging the aspirants to put the party’s stability above individual ambitions.
“Internal divisions can undermine our chances in the forthcoming governorship election. The APC must not go into this contest divided,” the statement quoted Tinubu as saying. “Fairness will prevail, and reconciliation is in the interest of our party.”
Party insiders said the president expressed concern that deepening factional mistrust in Osun could weaken the APC’s overall electoral prospects, especially with the opposition expected to leverage internal disputes.
The statement noted that discontent has been growing among supporters of several aspirants who were screened out of the race, with some describing the process as lacking transparency. Renewed Hope UK described Tinubu’s intervention as timely and necessary, particularly as calls for national-level mediation have intensified.
“The president has assured all stakeholders that no injustice will be allowed,” the group said. “Further engagements are expected to ensure all grievances are fully addressed.”
Renewed Hope UK added that Tinubu may hold additional meetings with excluded aspirants—including Omisore—before the party’s governorship primaries, as part of efforts to heal longstanding rifts and prevent defections or internal sabotage.
Political observers say the coming days will be critical in determining whether the APC can rebuild internal cohesion ahead of what is expected to be a fiercely contested Osun governorship election.
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