Ogun 2027: Yayi’s APC ticket challenged as indigeneity dispute escalates

The 2027 Ogun State governorship race has taken a contentious turn, with All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, facing renewed disputes over his ancestry and the party primary that produced him as its candidate.

The controversies have generated competing claims from political opponents and supporters, with some of the allegations now being framed as matters for the courts rather than settled political narratives.

The latest dispute centres on claims by former Nigerian ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello and suspended APC member Abayomi Hunye that Adeola has ancestral links to Ekiti State and should provide evidence of his connection to Ogun.

Adeola has rejected the allegations, describing them as false and defamatory. Through his media adviser, Kayode Odunaro, he gave Marcus-Bello and Hunye 24 hours to substantiate their claims or face legal action.

Marcus-Bello has maintained her position, saying she possesses documents that, in her view, support her claims about Adeola’s ancestry. She has also linked the controversy to the longstanding demand by sections of Ogun West and the Yewa area for an indigenous candidate to emerge as governor.

Hunye has similarly said he is prepared to defend his position in court, arguing that questions surrounding a candidate’s origin and eligibility should be determined through evidence and the judicial process.

Adeola gets backing from within APC

Adeola’s supporters have strongly disputed the allegations.

APC chieftain and lawyer Kayode Oladele rejected Marcus-Bello’s claims, arguing that Adeola’s paternal roots are established in Pahayi and Isaga Orile in Ogun State. Oladele also criticised what he described as attempts to use questions of ancestry as a political weapon.

Adeola’s stepmother, Aminatu Abiola, has also publicly rejected the Ekiti-origin allegation. In a video reported by TheCable, she said Adeola’s father was buried in Lagos and insisted that neither his father nor mother originated from Ekiti.

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Traditional voices in Ogun have also entered the debate. PUNCH reported that traditional leaders in Kemta previously affirmed Adeola’s ancestral ties to the community.

Primary controversy adds another layer

Separate from the ancestry dispute is an unresolved challenge to the APC governorship primary.

Adeola was declared the winner of the party’s May primary with 304,055 votes out of 305,287 accredited voters, according to figures reported by the party. Hunye was recorded as scoring zero votes.

Hunye has challenged the process in court, questioning the circumstances surrounding the primary and demanding that the exercise be cancelled or subjected to judicial scrutiny.

In September, he again insisted that the process should be determined by documentary evidence and the courts. He specifically questioned the APC’s claim that he had been suspended before participating in the nomination process.

The APC, however, has repeatedly maintained that Adeola remains its recognised candidate and has rejected Hunye’s claim to the party’s ticket.

The dispute has already produced competing political activities, with Hunye maintaining that he remains in the race and unveiling a running mate while his legal challenge continues.

Adebutu joins ancestry dispute

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ladi Adebutu, has also challenged Adeola to take legal action over the indigeneship controversy.

Adebutu said he was prepared to defend his claim in court, while stressing his own Ogun ancestry.

The development has therefore created two distinct legal and political questions around Adeola’s candidacy: the ongoing dispute over the APC nomination process and the separate controversy concerning his ancestral identity.

Political analysts say the competing claims should be separated from established facts and determined on the basis of documentary evidence and applicable law.

Analysts also point out that political allegations made during an election campaign do not, by themselves, establish a candidate’s constitutional eligibility or disqualify an aspirant. Where such issues are formally challenged, courts and relevant electoral authorities are the appropriate institutions for determining them.

The primary dispute presents a similar situation. While the APC recognises Adeola as its candidate, Hunye continues to challenge the process in court. The final legal outcome could therefore have implications for how the party’s ticket is treated, depending on the court’s eventual determination.

For now, the Ogun 2027 contest remains fluid, with Adeola’s candidacy officially backed by the APC while questions over the primary and competing claims about his ancestry continue to generate political and legal disputes.