APC backs Adeola for Ogun in 2027, rejecting Abayomi Hunye’s claim to the party’s ticket and reaffirming its nominated candidate
The All Progressives Congress has rejected Abayomi Semako Hunye’s claim to its governorship ticket for Ogun State in the 2027 election, with National Secretary Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru saying on Monday, August 24, 2026, that Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola remains the party’s recognised candidate.
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The dispute has opened a fresh political fault line within the Ogun APC months before the governorship election, with Hunye insisting that he remains in the race and the party’s national leadership maintaining that the nomination process has already produced Adeola as its flag bearer.
Basiru, in a statement issued in Abuja, described Hunye as an “impostor” and said he was not a member of the APC in good standing.
“Hunye is not a member of the APC in good standing. He was suspended from the party on April 7, 2026. He is an impostor currently on suspension,” Basiru said.
According to the APC, Hunye’s suspension followed a petition from his Tube Ward in Ipokia Local Government Area.
The party said the disciplinary process began at ward level, was ratified by the Ipokia local government chapter and subsequently approved by the Ogun State Working Committee.
Basiru said the allegations behind the suspension included conduct considered damaging to the party’s image, anti-party activities and actions allegedly intended to create disaffection and division among members.
The national leadership therefore said Hunye had no authority to represent the APC or present himself as its governorship candidate.
“His recent self-declaration as the governorship candidate of our party for the 2027 election is completely false, unauthorised, and a mischievous act aimed at misleading the public,” Basiru said.
The party’s position is that Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, emerged from its governorship primary and remains its candidate for the January 2027 election.
Adeola, who represents Ogun West in the Senate, was reported by the Ogun APC to have secured 304,055 votes from 305,287 accredited voters at the party’s primary.
The state chapter subsequently reaffirmed him as its candidate.
The APC has also named Balogun Kudirat Abiodun as Adeola’s running mate.
Basiru said the names and particulars of Adeola and Abiodun had been submitted through the Independent National Electoral Commission’s nomination portal, with acknowledgement slips issued following the submission.
The national leadership presented the documentation as evidence of the party’s formal nomination of the pair.
The development followed Hunye’s renewed political activity over the weekend.
On Saturday, August 22, Hunye told supporters that he remained in the 2027 governorship contest and was pursuing a legal challenge to the APC primary. He also unveiled Otunba Abayomi Odunowo as his preferred running mate.
Hunye had previously challenged the conduct of the APC primary, alleging irregularities and calling for the exercise to be cancelled.
In June, he questioned how he could have received zero votes despite claiming support across Ogun’s 20 local government areas and 236 wards.
The latest confrontation therefore centres not only on who should represent the APC in the election but also on the validity of the primary that produced Adeola.
The party maintains that the primary was validly conducted and that Adeola’s nomination complies with the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC’s guidelines.
Hunye, however, has continued to challenge the process in court, creating the possibility that the dispute could move beyond an internal party disagreement into a broader legal contest.
The APC has now warned individuals and organisations against conducting political or financial transactions with Hunye while he presents himself as acting on behalf of the party.
Basiru said anyone who did so would act at their own risk, adding that the party would not accept responsibility for financial losses, legal disputes or criminal liability arising from such dealings.
The national leadership has also said it instructed its legal team to initiate contempt proceedings and lodge complaints with relevant security agencies over what it described as misrepresentation and impersonation.
The Ogun APC has separately reaffirmed Adeola’s candidacy. State chairman Chief Yemi Sanusi said the party’s position was clear following Hunye’s public claims about the ticket.
The dispute is unfolding against a politically significant backdrop. Ogun is expected to be closely watched in 2027, with the APC seeking to retain control of a state it has governed since 2011.
The party’s internal disagreement could therefore become an important test of its ability to maintain cohesion as the election approaches.
For now, however, the national leadership has drawn a firm line: Adeola is the APC’s candidate, while Hunye’s claim is rejected.
Also read: Sanwo-Olu Says APC Is Ready to Win Lagos in 2027
With Hunye pursuing a legal challenge and the APC preparing to defend Adeola’s nomination, the Ogun governorship contest is already shaping up as a closely watched political battle well ahead of election day.
