The governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, Hon. Semanko Abayomi Hunye, has declared that he remains in the race for the 2027 governorship election, unveiling Otunba Yomi Odunowo as his deputy governorship aspirant.
Hunye, who addressed journalists in Abeokuta on Saturday, said his decision to unveil Odunowo was partly to ensure that his campaign remains active as he pursues his legal challenge to the outcome of the APC governorship primary.
He also questioned the indigeneity of the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, challenging him to prove his claim to Ogun State ancestry.
Hunye said he was particularly familiar with Adeola’s background, claiming that he knew him when the senator was preparing to enter politics in Lagos around 2000.
The development has added a fresh dimension to the dispute within the Ogun APC following the party’s governorship primary in May, in which Adeola was declared the winner with 304,055 votes, while Hunye was officially recorded as scoring zero.
Hunye has rejected the outcome and taken the matter to court, insisting that the primary did not reflect what transpired during the exercise.
“I want to tell everybody in Ogun State that that is a big lie. I am still in the race. We are in court,” Hunye declared on Saturday.
“We are challenging the result of the election that announced Yayi as the candidate of the APC, and we are in court. Next Thursday, we will also be in court. I believe God that, at the end of the day, victory is His.”
…Why Hunye picked Odunowo
Explaining the choice of Odunowo, Hunye said the legal battle did not mean he should suspend his political activities or remain inactive while the case was pending.
He said the electoral process had moved beyond the primary stage to the campaign phase, which he said would commence on September 9.
“The first process was the primary, and the second process, which is starting on September 9, is the campaign,” he said.
According to him, remaining inactive could create complications in the event that his legal challenge succeeds.
“So, if you are sure that you are actually a candidate, or in turn you have gone to court, you must also participate in the next phase of the election process,” Hunye said.
He added that he did not want to find himself in a situation where a court victory could subsequently be challenged on the grounds that he had not participated in the campaign process.
“Nobody will get to court and say, ‘Yes, he is qualified; he meets all the criteria,’ but one thing is missing: there is no evidence of campaigning,” he said.
Hunye said the selection of a running mate had therefore become necessary, particularly with what he described as developments surrounding the selection of candidates for other elective positions.
“As of today, all the Assembly candidates have been picked. They have also sort of picked a deputy governor,” he said.
He warned against allowing another political group to determine who would serve as his deputy.
“If I refuse to pick my deputy governor, they will ask me to, and I will be compelled to adopt theirs, which is more dangerous than even contesting at all,” Hunye said.
“If somebody should pick for me, at the end of the day, how do you work together? The Bible says, ‘Except the two agree, they cannot work together.’”
‘Odunowo has quality to govern Ogun’
Hunye described Odunowo as his longtime friend and a politician with whom he shared confidence and political values.
He said he believed Odunowo possessed the ability and experience required to contribute to the governance of Ogun State.
“I believe in him. I believe in his ability and capability, that he has the quality to rule this state, to govern this state,” he said.
Hunye said the partnership was also influenced by his belief that the time had come for the Ijebu axis to produce the next governor of Ogun State.
“I want to tell you, if not because it is the turn of Ogun west, that’s what I believe. If it were to be the turn of Ogun East, I would have supported him in the same way. I would have been his deputy,” he said.
He added, “if he possesses that kind of quality, that means we can partner together for a better tomorrow. I see Ogun State in the near future in a better position in the comity of states in Nigeria.”
…Hunye questions Yayi’s indigeneity
The APC aspirant subsequently turned his attention to Adeola’s background, insisting that the question of indigeneity should be taken seriously if an Ijebu candidate is to emerge as governor.
Hunye said he was a bona fide Ijebu man and claimed that he had deep family roots in the area.
“I am from Tube. The deputy governor is from Ijebu-Ode. His mother is Mama Cash — Cash Madam. Do you know him?” he said.
He continued, “I am from Tube. You don’t get to Tube and start asking for me. When you get to Tube, you see my auntie, you see my uncle, you see my nephew. You see everything.”
“You can see my roots there. Where I live is in the family house.”
Hunye then directly linked the issue of indigeneity to the 2027 governorship contest.
“If Ogun west must become governor, we must ensure that it is a true indigene, an original Tube man, who knows our challenges and our problems, so that we’ll be able to solve them,” he said.
“So, we are looking for the son of Tube. And I want to tell you, I am the son of Tube.”
He said he had been involved in the political struggle for about two decades and claimed to possess extensive knowledge of the political dynamics surrounding the contest.
“I am not new in this race. I’ve been on this for the past 20 years,” Hunye said.
“There are so many things that I’m aware of, that he’s also aware of, that we can’t be saying here.”
‘Are they God?’
Hunye also dismissed suggestions that political forces could determine the eventual winner of the 2027 governorship election, saying the outcome ultimately remained in God’s hands.
“Becoming a governor is not in the hands of any man. It’s in the hands of the Creator,” he said.
“It’s the Creator that can make a man whatever He wants him to become.”
He further asked rhetorically, “Are they God?”
“As long as they are not God, then they cannot determine what happens to them,” he added.
‘They want to rubbish us’
The aspirant also alleged that forces within the political establishment were attempting to push him and his supporters out of the contest.
“But one way or the other, we can see that the way things are going, it is like they want to rubbish us where God has not rubbished us,” Hunye said.
“I believe this time around, it is our time, and so shall it be.”
He expressed confidence that the judiciary would provide an opportunity for him to obtain justice over his grievances.
“I believe in the ability of our people, the support groups and everybody in Ogun State, and, more importantly, a very sincere judiciary,” he said.
“They have been doing that, and I know our own will not be an exception. We are going to get justice.”
Hunye, however, said his legal challenge would not prevent him from actively participating in the political process.
“But in getting justice, you must get prepared. You don’t wait and sit down, and by the time the justice comes, you are not looking at the process,” he said.
“You want to ensure that at every stage of the process we are in, we are participating. And that’s why we are here.”
He subsequently formally announced Odunowo as his running mate.
“I have the grace of God and the support of everybody here to announce to you today my friend, Otunba Abayomi Odunowo, as my deputy,” Hunye declared.
…Background to the dispute
Adeola was declared the APC’s governorship candidate after the party’s direct primary conducted across Ogun State in May. The official result gave him 304,055 votes, while Hunye was recorded as polling zero.
The result has remained contentious, with Hunye disputing the process and pursuing legal action.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of the APC’s earlier endorsement of Adeola as its consensus candidate, a decision backed by Governor Dapo Abiodun and other party stakeholders.
Adeola, who represents Ogun West in the Senate and previously represented Lagos West, has maintained his position as the APC candidate.
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