Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The political battle for Ogun State’s governorship in 2027 has erupted into a full-blown legal confrontation, with Senator Solomon Adeola, the All Progressives Congress candidate, threatening to sue over claims that he is an indigene of Ekiti State, and his accuser, Abayomi Hunye, welcoming the threat with open defiance. The dispute, which has been simmering for years, resurfaced on national television last week when Hunye and Ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, separately alleged that Adeola, who represents Ogun West in the Senate, was not a native of Ogun State. Adeola responded on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, through his media adviser, Kayode Odunaro, giving the two individuals twenty-four hours to produce evidence backing their claims or face lawsuits. The senator described the allegations as false and libellous, stating that he watched in disbelief as people he hardly knew uttered what he called outrageous lies about his origin without proof.
Adeola’s threat was swift and personal. In a statement issued in Abeokuta, he said one of his accusers claimed on television that he was from Ekiti but could not identify the specific location when pressed for details. He accused the other of lying about the locations of his parents’ graves, saying she spoke as if she had been part of the burial party. “Enough is enough,” Adeola said. “They should produce their evidence in twenty-four hours or be ready for my lawsuits.” The senator recalled that similar allegations had been used as propaganda to prevent his emergence as senator representing Ogun West in 2023, a campaign he said failed because the people of the district voted massively for him. He described the renewed allegations as an attempt to undermine his perceived chances in the 2027 governorship election.
Hunye’s response was immediate and uncompromising. In a statement issued on Tuesday by his media adviser, Femi Oyewale, the former Ogun State commissioner said he welcomed the threat of a lawsuit with open arms and was more than ready to meet Adeola in a court of competent jurisdiction. Hunye claimed that the matter was already before a court, describing Adeola’s twenty-four-hour ultimatum as a political jamboree designed to make noise in the public. He accused the senator of attempting to intimidate those questioning his ancestry and eligibility to contest the governorship election. “For far too long, the political space in Ogun West has been subjected to intimidation, high-handedness, and the suppression of truth through media propaganda and sponsored brickbats,” Hunye said. He described Adeola’s threat as a familiar diversionary tactic and a media gimmick designed to bully dissenting voices and evade public accountability.
At the heart of the dispute is a question that goes beyond personal rivalry. Hunye argued that the origin and eligibility of a political candidate is a matter of constitutional concern, not a private affair. He said it touches on the integrity of democratic institutions and the aspirations of the people of Ogun State, who deserve a leader whose roots and allegiance are indisputably local. He challenged Adeola to pursue the matter in court rather than continue the controversy through the media. “Truth is an absolute defence against libel,” Hunye said. “Rather than engaging in empty threats and grandstanding on national television, Senator Adeola should save his energy and approach the court immediately.” He pledged to present what he described as robust, verifiable facts and documentary evidence concerning the allegation of Adeola’s Ekiti ancestry if the matter came before a court, insisting that the courtroom is where evidence is tested, not the pages of newspapers or sponsored broadcast interviews.
The controversy has drawn in traditional authorities in Ogun State. The Oluwo of Kemta and Baaye of Egbaland, Chief Abayomi Rotimi, recently affirmed Adeola’s ancestral ties to Kemta, describing the senator as a son of the community regardless of political differences. Rotimi said politics should not be allowed to interfere with the affairs of the traditional institution and dismissed reports circulating on social media that the Ile Ogboni of Kemta had been shut because of Adeola’s relationship with the community. He described those reports as false and politically motivated, challenging anyone behind the claims to visit the premises and verify the situation. The traditional council’s intervention adds a cultural dimension to a dispute that is fundamentally about political power and electoral eligibility.
The legal dimension of the case is complicated by Hunye’s claim that the matter is already before a court. If true, Adeola’s threat of a fresh lawsuit could be seen as unnecessary or even as an attempt to relitigate an issue already under judicial consideration. Hunye’s camp said it would present documentary evidence to support its position, suggesting that the dispute may ultimately be resolved not through media exchanges but through the slow, evidence-based process of litigation. Adeola’s lawyers have not commented on Hunye’s claim that the matter is already in court. The senator’s media adviser, Odunaro, said the allegations had previously been used as a political campaign against Adeola’s emergence as senator and had resurfaced amid what he described as the senator’s seemingly unstoppable move towards the 2027 governorship election.
The political context is significant. Ogun State’s 2027 governorship race is already crowded, and Adeola, a two-term senator and chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, is considered a leading contender for the APC ticket. His opponents have seized on the origin question as a way to challenge his eligibility and undermine his support base in Ogun West, the senatorial district he represents. Ogun West has historically produced few governors, and the 2027 election is seen as an opportunity for the district to produce the state’s next leader. Adeola’s opponents argue that if he is not a native of Ogun State, he should not be eligible to contest. Adeola and his supporters insist that the claim is false, politically motivated, and designed to deny Ogun West the chance to produce a governor.
The dispute has also exposed divisions within the APC in Ogun State. Hunye is described in some reports as a suspended member of the party, while other reports refer to him as a governorship aspirant. His decision to appear on national television to challenge Adeola’s origin suggests a willingness to confront the party’s candidate directly, even at the risk of deepening internal divisions. Marcus-Bello, the other individual threatened with legal action, is a PDP chieftain, adding a cross-party dimension to the controversy. The involvement of figures from different political parties suggests that the origin question is not simply an APC internal matter but a broader political issue that could shape the 2027 election.
For now, the two sides remain far apart. Adeola has demanded evidence within twenty-four hours, a deadline that has now passed. Hunye has said he will present his evidence in court, not to the media. The traditional authorities in Kemta have affirmed Adeola’s ties to the community. The courts may ultimately determine the outcome, but the political damage may already be done. The controversy has forced Adeola to defend his identity in public, a distraction he can ill afford as he prepares for a competitive governorship race. For Hunye, the dispute has elevated his profile and positioned him as a challenger willing to take on the party establishment. Whatever the legal outcome, the Ekiti origin row has become a defining issue in Ogun State’s 2027 governorship contest, and both men appear prepared to fight it out to the end.
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