The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has confirmed that none of its gubernatorial aspirants in Oyo State have been disqualified from participating in the state primary election.
The official clarification follows widespread rumors suggesting that a former Minister of Power and prominent contender in the race, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, had been barred from the contest.
Aside from Senator Sharafadeen Alli representing Oyo South, the governorship race includes Senator AbdulFatai Buhari of Oyo North, former Deputy Governor Aderemi Olaniyan, and Akeem Agbaje, all of whom purchased nomination forms to compete for the party’s ticket.
Addressing reporters on Thursday at the APC State Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, the Chairman of the APC House of Assembly and Governorship Primaries Election Committee for Oyo State, Taofeek Olawale Abdulsalam, dismissed the disqualification claims.
He stated explicitly that every aspirant who bought, completed, and returned the nomination and expression of interest forms successfully passed the screening process.
Abdulsalam, a former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, expressed satisfaction with the pre-election arrangements and assured party faithful of a peaceful, well-organized primary exercise.
He explained that the primary responsibility of his committee is to collate and securely transmit the voting results to the national headquarters of the party, as the committee lacks the independent authority to make official declarations.
Concurrently, the Chairman of the APC Primaries Election Monitoring Committee in the state, Ayo Afolabi, guaranteed party members that the entire process would be closely monitored to ensure transparency, credibility, and fairness at the polls.