The battle for the 2027 governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State has taken a fresh and more intense turn as former governorship aspirant Abayomi Semako Hunye insists that the contest is far from over.
Hunye, a former commissioner and immediate past Managing Director of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA), has continued to challenge the emergence of Senator Olamilekan Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the party’s candidate.
The latest development came on Saturday, August 22, when Hunye unveiled Abayomi Odunowo as his running mate, signalling that he intends to remain active in the 2027 governorship race despite the APC’s recognition of Adeola.
The move has deepened an already tense dispute within the Ogun APC, with the two camps now presenting sharply different positions on who should represent the party at the election.
How Adeola Emerged as APC’s Preferred Candidate
The dispute dates back to April 13, when Governor Dapo Abiodun announced Adeola as the APC’s consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship election during a strategic caucus meeting involving the party’s major stakeholders.
The meeting was attended by former governors Olusegun Osoba, Ibikunle Amosun and Gbenga Daniel, alongside other aspirants including Iyabo Obasanjo, Gboyega Isiaka, Tunde Lemo and Isiak Akinlade.
Hunye, who is also of Yewa extraction like Adeola, was absent from the meeting.
During the gathering, Abiodun declared Adeola as the person the party had agreed would succeed him as governor.
Despite the consensus arrangement, Hunye proceeded to obtain the APC governorship nomination form approximately two weeks later.
His N50 million nomination form was reportedly obtained on his behalf in Abuja.
The development set the stage for a major confrontation within the party ahead of the governorship primary.
APC Primary Ends With Controversial Zero Vote for Hunye
At the APC governorship primary held across Ogun State, Adeola was declared the winner with 304,055 votes out of 305,287 accredited voters.
Hunye was officially recorded with zero votes despite being the only other challenger in the contest.
The result immediately became a major point of contention, with Hunye and his supporters rejecting the figures announced by the party.
Adeola subsequently thanked former governor Olusegun Osoba and Governor Dapo Abiodun for their roles in his emergence and promised to build on the achievements of the current administration if elected governor.
The senator also pledged to work for the development of Ogun State and ensure that the confidence placed in him by the party’s leadership was not taken for granted.
The APC later named Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun as Adeola’s running mate.
Hunye Camp Claims He Actually Won the Primary
Hunye’s campaign organisation refused to accept the official result, claiming that figures gathered from its agents across the state told a completely different story.
The group claimed that Hunye secured 453,765 votes, while Adeola received 304,055 votes.
It therefore described the official declaration in favour of Adeola as unacceptable and argued that the announced figures did not reflect the outcome of the exercise.
The campaign maintained that Hunye was properly screened and cleared to participate in the primary and questioned how an aspirant who took part in the process could subsequently be recorded as receiving no votes.
The dispute eventually moved to court, with Hunye challenging the validity of the primary and seeking to have the result nullified over alleged irregularities and disenfranchisement.
Why Hunye Says He Must Continue the Contest
Despite the legal battle, Hunye has continued to participate in the political process.
According to him, recent amendments to Nigeria’s electoral framework make it important for an aspirant challenging a primary election to continue taking part in subsequent stages of the electoral process.
Hunye argued that failing to campaign while challenging the primary could create complications if the court eventually rules in his favour.
Explaining his decision to unveil a running mate, he said he had studied the relevant constitutional and electoral provisions and concluded that he needed to remain active in the process.
He argued that the campaign stage was another important phase of the election and that his participation would prevent anyone from later claiming that he had abandoned the contest.
For Hunye, the matter therefore remains open until the court delivers its decision.
Ogun APC Insists Adeola Is the Only Recognised Candidate
The Ogun State chapter of the APC has, however, rejected Hunye’s position.
State chairman Yemi Sanusi issued a disclaimer maintaining that Adeola remains the party’s recognised governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
According to Sanusi, the names of Adeola and Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun had already been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the APC’s governorship candidate and running mate.
The party urged members and the public to disregard any contrary claims and rely on official communications from the APC and relevant electoral authorities.
Sanusi maintained that Hunye had no authority to present himself as the party’s candidate.
Hunye Fires Back: ‘I Never Declared Myself APC Candidate’
Hunye subsequently pushed back against the APC’s disclaimer, insisting that he never claimed to be the officially recognised APC candidate.
Instead, he said his position was that the dispute over the party’s governorship ticket remained before the court.
He argued that the APC should allow the judicial process to run its course rather than treating the dispute as settled before judgment.
Hunye maintained that the legal battle over the ticket could not be considered concluded until the court made a final determination.
He also accused party leaders of attempting to intimidate him into abandoning the case, insisting that he had no intention of withdrawing.
“If the court rules against me, I will support Adeola. But if it rules in my favour, I will embrace everybody,” Hunye said.
APC Accuses Hunye of Being Suspended From the Party
The dispute escalated further when the APC’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, described Hunye as an impostor and alleged that he had already been suspended from the party.
Basiru said Hunye was suspended on April 7, 2026, following allegations of activities considered injurious to the party’s image, anti-party conduct and actions allegedly capable of creating division among members.
According to the APC, the suspension followed a petition from Hunye’s ward in Ipokia Local Government Area and was subsequently ratified at the local government and state levels before being communicated to the party’s national headquarters.
Basiru therefore argued that Hunye had no authority to represent the APC or claim its governorship ticket.
The national leadership reiterated that Adeola remained the party’s duly nominated candidate following the governorship primary.
Hunye Questions APC’s Suspension Claim
Hunye has strongly disputed the party’s claim that he was suspended in April.
He said he was never formally served with any suspension letter and questioned whether the proper disciplinary procedure had been followed.
According to him, any genuine suspension should have involved notifying him of the allegations and allowing a disciplinary panel to consider the matter.
Hunye also pointed to the actions of the APC after the date of the alleged suspension as evidence of what he described as contradictions in the party’s position.
He said the party sold him a governorship nomination form on April 28, screened him in May and eventually cleared him to contest.
He disclosed that he was assigned number 62 during the screening process, while Adeola was assigned number 53, adding that some aspirants were disqualified during the process.
Hunye questioned why the party would allow him to obtain a nomination form, pay the required fees, participate in screening and receive clearance if he had already been suspended.
He also repeated his objection to being credited with zero votes during the primary.
“I was not in the police station. I was not in the hospital. How would I pay N50 million for something and be absent?” he questioned.
Hunye Raises Fresh Questions About Adeola’s Political History
Beyond the primary election, Hunye said his court challenge also raises questions about information contained in Adeola’s electoral documents and his previous political career.
He pointed specifically to Adeola’s years in public office in Lagos State.
According to Hunye, Adeola served eight years in the Lagos State House of Assembly, eight years in the House of Representatives and four years in the Senate.
Hunye said these records and other issues form part of the matters being examined through the legal process.
He maintained that the APC could not simply push him aside after years of involvement in the party and its political struggles.
APC Takes Dispute to Police, Seeks Hunye’s Arrest
The disagreement took another dramatic turn when the APC petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, over Hunye’s activities.
In the petition dated August 24, the party accused Hunye of impersonating the APC’s governorship candidate and allegedly misleading members of the public.
The APC asked the police to investigate Hunye and, if offences were established, prosecute him.
The party also asked the police to restrain him from continuing to present himself as a governorship candidate, arguing that the situation could threaten public peace and electoral stability in Ogun State.
The APC maintained that Adeola was the authentic candidate of the party after the governorship primary and described Hunye’s continued activities as unauthorised.
The development has added a new dimension to what began as an internal party dispute and later moved into the courts.
Ogun 2027 Ticket Battle Remains Unresolved
For now, the Ogun APC has firmly backed Adeola, while Hunye continues to challenge the process that produced him.
Adeola has the backing of the APC leadership and has already been presented by the party as its candidate, while Hunye is relying on his ongoing legal challenge and continued participation in the political process.
The competing claims have created an unusual situation in which the party recognises one candidate while another aspirant insists that the final outcome remains subject to judicial determination.
With the case still pending, the dispute could remain one of the most closely watched political battles in Ogun State as the 2027 election approaches.
