As varied reactions trailed the recent report of the All Progressives Congress (APC) screening committee, which disqualified seven governorship aspirants vying for the party’s ticket in Osun, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, yesterday, denied meddling in the committee’s activities.

It would be recalled that the screening committee, headed by Obinna Uzoh, submitted a report to the APC National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja last Friday, disqualifying former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Iyiola Omisore, and six other aspirants.

The committee attributed their disqualification to failure to meet the required nomination of at least five fully registered and financially current members from each of the local councils in the state.

It, however, cleared Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji and Mulikat Abiola Jimoh to participate in the APC primary for December 13.

However, Omisore, during a media briefing in Abuja, alleged that the Chairman of the screening committee had informed him that Oyetola had exerted pressure on him, stating that the Presidency had named Oyebamiji as its preferred candidate among the aspirants.

Omisore also accused Oyetola of influencing the report of the committee.

Meanwhile, Oyetola in a statement by his Special Adviser, Bolaji Akinola, yesterday, dismissed as “baseless and misleading” allegations by Omisore that he interfered in the party’s screening process.

The statement stressed that the minister had no role — direct or indirect — in the screening committee’s decisions regarding the December 13 primary.

Akinola stressed that Oyetola had always upheld fairness, transparency, and strict adherence to party rules, the principles, he said, the minister would never compromise.