A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, Abayomi Hunye, has warned that the party’s unresolved internal crisis over its 2027 governorship ticket could trigger a political confrontation more severe than the recent crisis surrounding the Osun State governorship election.
Hunye issued the warning on Tuesday while speaking on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, where he defended his decision to continue challenging 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, insisted that the matter remained before the court and said he would not withdraw his legal challenge.
He said the issue was not simply about his personal ambition but about ensuring that party members were allowed to participate in a transparent and credible process.
“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 said.
He argued that political actors who believed their rights had been violated would not 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 added.
Hunye Rejects Alleged Imposition of Adeola
Hunye accused Governor Dapo Abiodun and the APC leadership of imposing Adeola on other aspirants, arguing that the senator should be subjected to a free and fair primary if he was genuinely popular among party members.
“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,” he said.
The aspirant also claimed that some members of Abiodun’s cabinet were unhappy with the process that produced Adeola.
“Quite a number of people in Dapo Abiodun’s cabinet are with us. They are not happy. People are not happy,” he said.
The APC, however, has rejected Hunye’s claim to the party’s governorship ticket, describing him as an impostor and maintaining that Adeola is its duly nominated candidate.
APC Disowns Hunye
The party, through its National Working Committee, said on Monday that Hunye remained suspended and had no authority to speak or conduct political business on behalf of the APC.
In a disclaimer signed by the party’s National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, the APC identified Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan as its governorship candidate and Balogun Kudirat Abiodun as his running mate.
The party also said the names of Adeola and his running mate had been uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal, with acknowledgment slips showing that the submission was made on August 7, 2026.
Hunye, however, said 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.
He also disputed the party’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.
According to Hunye, the party ought to have followed due process, including notifying him of the allegations and allowing a disciplinary panel to consider the matter.
He said the alleged suspension was also inconsistent with the fact that the APC subsequently issued him a nomination form and screened him for the governorship contest.
Hunye claimed that he paid N50 million for the nomination form and was later screened and cleared to participate in the primary.
He said he was assigned number 62 during the screening, while Adeola was assigned number 53, adding that some aspirants were disqualified.
Dispute Over Primary Result
At the centre of Hunye’s court action is the outcome of the APC governorship primary, where he said he was recorded as scoring zero votes.
He questioned how he could have participated in the exercise and still be credited with no votes.
“So there was no withdrawal in my own name. I participated in the election and they admitted that I participated,” he said.
Hunye said he subsequently wrote to the party chairman and relevant committee to challenge the outcome but alleged that his complaints were not addressed.
He said the court was therefore 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.
