Ogun APC Reaffirms Yayi as 2027 Governorship Candidate

The Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has reaffirmed Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as its candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

The party made the clarification in a statement issued on Sunday by its state chairman, Yemi Sanusi, following renewed claims by Abayomi Hunye over the party’s governorship ticket.

The Ogun APC described the claim as false and called on its members, supporters and the public to disregard any contrary information regarding its candidate.

The development followed a press briefing by Hunye in Abeokuta on Saturday, where he rejected reports that he had withdrawn his challenge to Adeola’s emergence.

Hunye said he was already pursuing the matter in court, arguing that the process through which Adeola emerged as the APC governorship candidate was still being challenged.

He also unveiled Otunba Abayomi Odunowo from Ijebu-Ode as his running mate and said he would continue his political activities across the state in line with electoral laws.

However, the state APC insisted that Adeola remained its recognised candidate for the 2027 election.

The party said Adeola won its governorship primary with 304,055 votes out of 305,287 accredited voters who participated in the exercise.

Following his victory at the primary, Adeola selected Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun as his running mate.

The APC said the names of Adeola and Adegunwa-Balogun had been forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission as the party’s candidate and running mate for the governorship election.

The party therefore distanced itself from Hunye’s activities and any declaration suggesting that another person had been selected to represent the APC in the governorship race.

It urged residents and party supporters to rely on official statements from the Ogun APC and relevant electoral authorities for information concerning the party’s candidate.

Also reacting to the development, APC chieftain and former federal lawmaker, Kayode Oladele, criticised Hunye’s continued pursuit of the governorship ticket.

Oladele described the move as an exercise in futility, arguing that the APC had completed its nomination process and submitted Adeola’s name to INEC.

He questioned the basis for continuing to present another candidate after the party had concluded its primary and formally submitted its candidate.

Hunye, however, later clarified through a statement from his media office that he had never declared himself as the APC governorship candidate.

His camp said Hunye was only drawing attention to the legal dispute surrounding the emergence of the party’s candidate.

According to the statement, the matter remains before a competent court and the questions surrounding the APC’s governorship nomination are yet to be finally determined.

Hunye’s camp maintained that his position had consistently been that the courts should determine the validity of the process that produced Adeola.

The development has left the APC’s governorship contest in Ogun State subject to both the party’s reaffirmation of Adeola and the ongoing legal challenge.