By Peace Udugba
A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, Abayomi Hunye, has warned that the crisis surrounding the party’s 2027 governorship ticket could become more intense than the political turmoil witnessed during the recent Osun State governorship election.
Hunye issued the warning on Tuesday 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.
The dispute followed the emergence of Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the APC’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
Hunye, however, said the matter remained before the court, insisting that he was challenging the process through which the candidate emerged.
The APC, on its part, has disowned Hunye, describing him as an impostor and insisting that Adeola is its duly nominated candidate for the election.
Hunye, who stressed that he remained an aspirant and not the party’s candidate, said he would not withdraw his legal challenge, arguing that the dispute concerned the right of party members to participate in a free and fair primary.
“They saw what happened in Osun. What happened in Osun is going to be a child’s play to what is going to happen in Ogun State in 2027,” Hunye warned.
He said the lesson from Osun 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.
Hunye Challenges Adeola’s Emergence
Hunye said his opposition was based on 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 conduct a transparent primary, arguing that if Adeola was genuinely popular, he should be allowed to win through a free and fair process.
“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.
According to him, the controversy was not solely about his personal ambition but about the process of selecting the APC’s candidate.
He claimed that the alleged imposition could deepen divisions within the party ahead of the 2027 election.
Hunye also claimed that some members of Governor Abiodun’s cabinet were unhappy with Adeola’s emergence.
“Quite a number of people in Dapo Abiodun’s cabinet are with us. They are not happy. People are not happy,” he said.
APC Disowns Hunye
The controversy escalated on Monday when 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 also said the names of Adeola and his running mate had been uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal, with acknowledgment slips confirming the submission on August 7, 2026.
Hunye, however, rejected the claim that he had presented himself as the party’s recognised candidate.
“I want to correct that story. I never said I was. I remain an aspirant,” he said.
Hunye Disputes Suspension
Hunye also challenged the APC’s claim that he had been suspended, saying he was never formally notified of the disciplinary action.
“If they say they have suspended me. I have not received any letter. No letter was sent to me,” he said.
He argued that the party was required to follow due process before suspending a member.
Hunye said he was particularly concerned about the timing of the alleged suspension, noting that he subsequently obtained the party’s nomination form and participated in the screening process.
He claimed that he obtained the form at the APC National Secretariat on April 28 after allegedly being suspended in April.
According to him, the party collected N50 million from him for the nomination form before screening and clearing him to contest.
Hunye said he was assigned number 62 during the screening, while Adeola was assigned number 53.
Dispute Over APC Primary Result
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 scored zero after participating 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.
He said he subsequently wrote to the party chairman and the relevant committee to protest the outcome but claimed 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.
Hunye said the court therefore remained his avenue for seeking redress.
“The law also gives us an opportunity to hear our view and that’s exactly what I’m doing,” he said.
Hunye Links Suspension to Court Case
Hunye alleged that the suspension controversy could be connected to his ongoing court case, arguing that it could be used to challenge his legal standing in the suit.
He also raised questions about information he claimed Adeola provided during previous electoral processes, including issues relating to his political history and connection to Ogun State.
When asked whether he considered the alleged discrepancies to amount to perjury, Hunye replied, “Yes, that is a perjury.”
He further alleged that the suspension could be an attempt to remove him as a party member with legal standing to pursue the case.
“They want to remove me as a locus,” he said.
Asked whether he believed the move was intended to defeat his case on a technical ground, Hunye responded: “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 that he had been prepared for such a development from the beginning of the legal battle.
APC Gives Different Account
The APC, however, has given a different account of Hunye’s suspension.
According to documents issued by the party, the suspension originated from a petition by the Executive Committee of Tube Ward in Ipokia Local Government Area, dated March 23, 2026.
The petition reportedly accused Hunye of “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 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 APC 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 agencies to invite Hunye for questioning, investigate the allegations and prosecute him if found culpable.
It also urged the security agencies to restrain him from presenting himself as the APC governorship candidate.
Records cited by the party indicate that the police received its petition at Force Headquarters, Abuja, on August 24, while the DSS received its copy the same evening.
Hunye Insists Court Will Decide
Despite the APC’s position, Hunye maintained that the Ogun governorship ticket remains subject to judicial determination.
“Ogun State candidature of governorship election is still hanging at the court. The court is going to determine who becomes the candidate and the case is still on,” he said.
He said reports suggesting 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 APC 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 that regardless of the outcome, he would seek reconciliation within the APC.
According to him, if the court rules against him, he would accept the judgment and support the APC candidate. If the court upholds his claim, he said he would also 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 battle, with Hunye maintaining his challenge while the party insists that Adeola is its duly nominated candidate.
The development could add further uncertainty to the 2027 Ogun State governorship race as the legal and political battles continue.
