The battle for the 2027 governorship ticket in Ogun State has taken a controversial turn following a clash between the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, and a member of the party, Abayomi Hunye, over allegations concerning the senator’s state of origin.
Adeola, who represents Ogun West in the Senate and emerged as the APC’s consensus governorship candidate, threatened legal action against Hunye and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello, over claims made about his alleged Ekiti ancestry.
The threat was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by Adeola’s Media Adviser, Kayode Odunaro.
According to the statement, Hunye and Marcus-Bello made what Adeola described as libelous claims during separate interviews on Channels Television, alleging that the senator is an indigene of Ekiti State.
Adeola said he watched the interviews “in disbelief” and challenged both individuals to publicly provide evidence supporting their claims within 24 hours or face legal action.
“I watched in utter disbelief as these characters that I hardly know utter assertive and outrageous lies about my origin without any proof. One falsely claimed on TV that I am from Ekiti and when asked where exactly in Ekiti went moronically blank,” Adeola said.
He also accused Marcus-Bello of making false claims about the locations of his parents’ graves, describing the allegations as an attempt to sustain what he termed an “unsustainable falsehood.”
Adeola’s camp further stated that allegations concerning his purported Ekiti origin were not new, claiming that similar allegations were circulated during the 2023 election cycle in an attempt to prevent his emergence as the senator representing Ogun West.
The senator’s supporters linked the renewed allegations to his political activities and his emergence as the APC’s governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 election.
However, Hunye has rejected Adeola’s threat of legal action, saying he was prepared to meet the senator in court.
In a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Femi Oyewale, Hunye described the threatened lawsuit as a political tactic aimed at intimidating critics and diverting attention from the substantive issue.
“We want to state categorically that we welcome the threat of a lawsuit with open arms. Threatening us with a lawsuit is like a political jamboree designed to make noise in the public,” Hunye said.
Hunye argued that questions concerning the origin and eligibility of a governorship candidate were matters of public and constitutional interest rather than private affairs.
He said the issue touches on the integrity of democratic institutions and the right of Ogun State residents to elect a leader whose roots meet the applicable constitutional requirements.
Hunye maintained that he was prepared to defend the allegations with documentary evidence if the matter proceeds to court.
“We will present robust, verifiable facts and documentary evidence substantiating our claims regarding his alleged Ekiti ancestry. The courtroom is where facts, not political titles, will speak,” he said.
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He further argued that truth constitutes a defence against libel and challenged Adeola to pursue the matter in court rather than through public statements and television interviews.
Hunye also vowed not to be intimidated by the legal threat, insisting that the claims would be tested through evidence before a court of competent jurisdiction.
The dispute adds another dimension to the unfolding political contest in Ogun State ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with the parties now trading allegations over Adeola’s ancestry and eligibility.
The claims concerning Adeola’s alleged Ekiti origin remain disputed by the parties, and any definitive determination on the matter would depend on the evidence presented and, where applicable, the decision of a competent court.
