‘WHAT HAPPENED IN OSUN WILL BE A CHILD’S PLAY IN OGUN’
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 far beyond the experience of the recently concluded 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, Ogun State, while defending his decision to challenge the outcome of the APC governorship primary in court.
His comments came amid a growing dispute over the party’s choice of Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as its governorship candidate, with Hunye insisting that the matter remains before the court.
The APC, however, has disowned Hunye and described him as an impostor, insisting that Adeola is its duly nominated candidate for the 2027 Ogun governorship election.
Hunye, who described himself as an aspirant rather than the party’s candidate, said he would not abandon his legal challenge, arguing that the controversy was fundamentally about the right of party members to participate in a free and fair process.
He warned that unresolved grievances within the party 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 a child’s play to what is going to happen in Ogun state in 2027,” Hunye warned.
He said the lesson from the Osun election was that political actors could not deprive people of their perceived 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 Ticket
Hunye’s warning was made in the context 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 win 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 argued that the controversy was not merely about his personal ambition but about the process through which the APC would determine its candidate.
According to him, forcing a preferred candidate on other aspirants could deepen divisions within the party and create greater political tension ahead of the election.
Hunye also rejected the suggestion that he was alone in challenging the process, claiming that some members of Governor Abiodun’s cabinet were unhappy with the emergence of Adeola.
“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 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 also said the names of Adeola and his running mate had been uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission portal, with acknowledgment slips confirming the submission on August 7, 2026.
But Hunye rejected the party’s position, insisting that he had never claimed to be the officially recognised APC candidate.
“I want to correct that story. I never said I was. I remain an aspirant,” he said.
Hunye Challenges 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.
“And before you suspend anybody, there must be a sort of panel. You must let me know what I’ve done. Then there will be a committee that will be sent out to look at that,” he said.
Hunye said he was particularly questioning the timing of the suspension because he subsequently obtained the party’s nomination form and participated in the screening process.
“Even I was suspended in April. I came to the National Party Secretariat. I got a form there on 28th of April,” he said.
He said the party collected N50 million from him for the nomination form and subsequently screened and cleared him for the governorship contest.
“You collected money and gave me form. On the 15th again, I went for screening,” he said.
According to Hunye, he was assigned number 62 during the screening, while Adeola was assigned number 53.
“You screened me. And at the end of the day, you cleared me that I’m successful. And then even in the midst of all the successful candidates, I was cleared. My number was 62 and Yayi’s number was 53 and there were some there that were disqualified,” he said.
Primary Result Dispute
Hunye’s legal challenge centres largely on the outcome of the APC governorship primary, where he said he was recorded as having scored zero votes.
He maintained that he participated in the primary and questioned how he could have been recorded as scoring zero.
“So there was no withdrawal in my own name. I participated in the election and they admitted that I participated,” he said.
He further questioned the circumstances surrounding the primary and alleged that there were incidents involving members of his campaign team.
“I was not in the police station. I was not in the hospital. How will I pay N50 million for something, and I will be absent there? And how would they now record zero against my name,” he said.
Hunye said he had written to the party chairman and the relevant committee after the primary 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.
He 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.
Why Hunye Says Suspension Could Affect His Case
Hunye further alleged that the suspension issue was connected to his ongoing court case and suggested that it could be used to challenge his standing in the suit.
He said the court case also raises questions concerning the eligibility and information provided by Adeola in previous election processes, including issues relating to his political history and connection to Ogun State.
“There are so many issues. All that is filled, he was serving in Lagos state as an assembly member. He served for eight years as an assembly member in Lagos state.
“House of assembly in Lagos state. Eight years as a house of rep also in Lagos state. Four years in the house of senate in the same Lagos state.
“So, he has been in government for the past 23 years. And those are the things we are asking, we are asking a lot of questions about all that he filled at different stages of those elections. And I don’t want to discuss about it here,” Hunye said.
When asked if the issue amounted to perjury, Hunye responded, “Yes, that is a perjury.”
He said similar legal challenges had been raised in the past, adding that previous litigants lost because they lacked locus standi.
“But they lost the case because they were no locus. And that is what they are fighting. They want to remove me as a locus,” he said.
Hunye alleged that the suspension could therefore be an attempt to remove his legal standing in the case.
“And that is why they are bringing the issue of I have been suspended. So once that is proven that I have been suspended, then I will not be locus,” he said.
Asked whether he believed the move was intended to remove him from the 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, “From day one, I am prepared for that.”
APC’s Account of Suspension
The APC, however, has given a different account of Hunye’s status within the party.
According to documents issued by the party, Hunye’s 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 him of “nefarious dealings” and “anti-party activities.”
The Ipokia Local Government Executive Committee subsequently ratified the suspension on March 27, 2026, 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’s 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 matter beyond its internal structures, petitioning the Inspector General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services 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 a 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 asked the security agencies to restrain him from further presenting himself as an APC governorship candidate.
Records cited by the party indicate that the petition to the police was received at Force Headquarters, Abuja, on August 24, while the DSS received its copy the same evening.
Hunye Insists Court Will Decide
Despite the party’s position, Hunye insists that the APC 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 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 judgement 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 judgement was eventually delivered.
“I want to assure you that I believe in judiciary. They are going to do the best. Whatever judgement that will be delivered and will take a good faith,” he said.
He maintained that regardless of the outcome, he would seek to reconcile with members of the party.
If the court rules against him, Hunye said he would accept the judgement and support the APC candidate.
Conversely, he said if the court validates his claim, he would seek to embrace members of the opposing camp and move beyond the dispute.
For now, the battle over the APC governorship ticket remains both a legal and political contest, with Hunye maintaining his challenge while the party insists that Adeola is its duly nominated candidate.
The dispute has added another layer of uncertainty to the 2027 Ogun governorship race, as both sides prepare for further legal and political battles ahead of the election.
