Ogun 2027: Hunye insists court will decide APC Governorship candidate

Michael Olumide Alabi

A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, Abayomi Hunye, has warned that the political crisis surrounding the party’s 2027 governorship ticket could escalate beyond the recent experience in Osun State.

Hunye issued the warning during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, while defending his decision to challenge the outcome of the APC governorship primary in court.

His comments came amid a dispute over the emergence of Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the party’s governorship candidate, with Hunye insisting that the matter remains before the court.

The APC, however, has disowned Hunye, describing him as an impostor and insisting that Adeola is its duly nominated candidate for the 2027 Ogun governorship election.

Hunye, who stressed that he remains an aspirant and has never claimed to be the party’s recognised candidate, said he would not abandon his legal challenge.

According to him, the dispute is fundamentally about the right of party members to participate in a free and fair process.

He warned that unresolved grievances could trigger a more intense political confrontation in Ogun ahead of the 2027 election.

“They saw what happened in Osun. What happened in Osun is going to be child’s play to what is going to happen in Ogun State in 2027,” Hunye warned.

He said the lesson from the Osun experience was that political actors could not deprive people of what they considered their rights and expect them to remain silent.

“What happened in Osun was the same thing. You cannot deprive people of their rights and want them to now keep quiet. They will not keep quiet,” he said.

Dispute Over APC Governorship Ticket
Hunye’s warning came against the backdrop of his opposition to what he described as the imposition of Adeola as the preferred candidate of Governor Dapo Abiodun and the APC leadership.

He challenged the party to allow a transparent contest, arguing that if Adeola was genuinely popular, he should be allowed to contest a free and fair primary.

“He imposed him on us. And you want to force us to obey it. If you agree that he is popular, let the primaries be free and fair. And if he wins the primary, everybody will agree,” Hunye said.

He maintained that the controversy was not simply about his personal ambition but about the process through which the APC would select its candidate.

Hunye also claimed that some members of Governor Abiodun’s cabinet were unhappy with the emergence of Adeola.

“Quite several people in Dapo Abiodun’s cabinet are with us. They are not happy. People are not happy,” he said.

APC disowns Hunye

The controversy intensified after the APC National Working Committee publicly disowned Hunye and described him as an impostor.

In a disclaimer signed by the party’s National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, the APC said Hunye remained suspended and lacked the authority to represent the party or present himself as its governorship candidate.

The party identified Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan as its duly nominated governorship candidate, with Balogun Kudirat Abiodun as his running mate.

The APC further said the names of Adeola and his running mate had been uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal, with acknowledgment slips showing submission on August 7, 2026.

Hunye, however, rejected the party’s position.
“I want to correct that story. I never said I was. I remain an aspirant,” he said.

Hunye challenges suspension

Hunye also disputed the APC’s claim that he had been suspended, saying he had not been formally notified of any suspension.

“If they say they have suspended me. I have not received any letter. No letter was sent to me,” he said.

He argued that due process was required before a party member could be suspended.

According to him, the party should communicate the allegations against a member and constitute a committee to investigate them before taking disciplinary action.

Hunye also questioned the timing of the alleged suspension, noting that he subsequently obtained the APC governorship nomination form and participated in the screening process.

He said the party collected N50 million from him for the nomination form and later screened and cleared him for the contest.

“You screened me. And at the end of the day, you cleared to me that I’m successful,” he said.

He added that he was assigned number 62 during the screening exercise, while Adeola was assigned number 53.

Dispute over the primary result

A major part of Hunye’s legal challenge centres on the outcome of the APC governorship primary, where he said he was recorded as scoring zero votes.

He questioned how he could have been recorded as scoring zero despite maintaining that he participated in the exercise.

“So there was no withdrawal in my own name. I participated in the election, and they admitted that I participated,” he said.

Hunye also questioned the circumstances surrounding the primary and referred to incidents involving members of his campaign team.

He said he subsequently wrote to the party chairman and the relevant committee, but alleged that his complaints were not addressed.

“I wrote immediately. I wrote to the party chairman. I wrote to the committee. They refuse to do anything,” he said.

He maintained that approaching the court was therefore his constitutional avenue for seeking redress.

“The law also allows us to hear our view, and that’s exactly what I’m doing,” he said.

‘They Want to Remove Me From the Case’
Hunye further alleged that the suspension controversy could be connected to his ongoing court case.

He suggested that if the party succeeded in establishing that he had been validly suspended, his legal standing, or locus standi, could become an issue in the suit.

Hunye also said his legal challenge raises questions about information allegedly provided by Adeola during previous electoral processes, although he declined to discuss the details publicly.

Asked whether he believed the matter could amount to perjury, Hunye answered in the affirmative.

He alleged that previous legal challenges had failed because those who instituted them lacked legal standing.

“But they lost the case because they were not the locus. And that is what they are fighting. They want to remove me as a locus,” he said.

Hunye alleged that the suspension issue could therefore be an attempt to undermine his standing in the case.

“And that is why they are bringing up the issue that I have been suspended. So once it is proven that I have been suspended, then I will not be locus,” he said.

Asked if he believed the move was intended to remove him from the case on a technical ground, he replied: “Exactly, that is what they are looking for. They are looking for a technical ground to put me away. And that cannot be possible.”

He added, “From day one, I am prepared for that.”

APC gives a different account

The APC, however, has given a different account of Hunye’s status within the party.

According to documents cited by the party, the suspension originated from a petition by the Executive Committee of his ward, Tube Ward in Ipokia Local Government Area, dated March 23, 2026.

The petition reportedly accused Hunye of alleged “nefarious dealings” and “anti-party activities.”

The Ipokia Local Government Executive Committee subsequently ratified the suspension on March 27, while the Ogun State Working Committee approved it on April 7 following a meeting at the party secretariat in Abeokuta.

The party said the Ogun State Working Committee subsequently notified the APC national screening committee for governorship aspirants of the ratification on May 5.

The APC has warned individuals against transacting political business with Hunye under the guise of representing the party and said its legal team had been directed to pursue contempt proceedings where necessary.

APC Petitions Police, DSS

The party has also escalated the dispute by petitioning the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) over Hunye’s activities.

In separate letters dated August 24, 2026, the APC’s Director of Administration, Ayoola Peter Olajolo, petitioned the two security agencies, alleging that Hunye’s conduct amounted to impersonation, conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace and violation of the Electoral Act, 2026.

The party asked the security agencies to invite Hunye for questioning, investigate the allegations and prosecute him if found culpable.

It also asked the agencies to restrain him from further presenting himself as an APC governorship candidate.

According to records cited by the party, the police petition was received at Force Headquarters, Abuja, on August 24, while the DSS received its copy the same evening.

‘Court will decide’

Despite the APC’s position, Hunye insists that the governorship ticket remains subject to judicial determination.

“Ogun State candidature of governorship election is still hanging in the court. The court is going to determine who becomes the candidate, and the case is still on,” he said.

He said reports that he had stepped down or reached a settlement prompted him to publicly restate his position.

“I was told that I have stepped down and that they have settled me and things like that, that is why I came up to tell everybody that the case is still in court and until that judgment is delivered, no candidate is decided,” Hunye said.

He also accused the party of attempting to intimidate him into abandoning the case.

“Whatever the APC likes, let them do. They are trying to intimidate me so that I can drop the case, and I will not,” he said.

Hunye said he remained confident in the judiciary and would accept whatever judgment was eventually delivered.

He also said he would seek reconciliation within the party regardless of the outcome.

According to him, if the court rules against him, he would accept the judgment and support the APC candidate. If the court rules in his favour, he said he would seek to reconcile with members of the opposing camp.

The dispute over the APC governorship ticket has therefore evolved into both a legal and political contest, with Hunye maintaining his challenge while the party insists that Adeola is its duly nominated candidate.

With the 2027 governorship election approaching, the dispute could further shape the political landscape in Ogun State as both camps prepare for additional legal and political battles.