Ogun Reaffirms Adeola as 2027 Governorship Candidate Amid Hunye Claim
ISSN: 2354-4481
By Deji Bankole
ABEOKUTA, Ogun State — The Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reaffirmed Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as its governorship candidate for the 2027 election, amid renewed claims by former aspirant Abayomi Semako Hunye that he remains in the race.
The state party chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi, made the position known in a statement on Sunday, insisting that Adeola remains the recognised candidate of the APC in the state.
Sanusi said the party was responding to claims attributed to Hunye, who recently declared that he was still pursuing his political ambition and legal challenge over the APC governorship primary.
Hunye said on Saturday that he had not withdrawn from the 2027 race and that his legal challenge concerning the party’s primary remained before the courts. He also announced Otunba Abayomi Odunowo as his preferred running mate.
However, the Ogun APC chairman maintained that the party’s position remains unchanged, with Adeola emerging from the governorship primary conducted in May.
Adeola, who represents Ogun West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, won the APC governorship ticket with 304,055 votes out of 305,287 accredited voters. Hunye was recorded with zero votes in the result announced by the party’s governorship primary election committee.
The result followed the conduct of the primary across the state’s 236 wards, with returning officers from the 20 local government areas submitting their results for collation.
Adeola’s emergence had earlier followed a consensus arrangement within the Ogun APC, with Governor Dapo Abiodun and other party leaders backing his candidacy. The party had argued that the decision to support an Ogun West candidate was aimed at addressing what it described as a longstanding imbalance, noting that the senatorial district had not produced a governor since the creation of Ogun State.
After the primary, the APC subsequently unveiled Kudirat Abiodun Adegunwa-Balogun as Adeola’s running mate and deputy governorship candidate.
Adegunwa-Balogun, a chartered accountant and finance professional, was unveiled in June during an APC strategic caucus meeting in Abeokuta. Her nomination followed the party’s decision to zone the deputy governorship position to Ogun East Senatorial District.
The APC leadership has since continued preparations for the 2027 election, with Adeola and Adegunwa-Balogun being presented to various stakeholders across the state.
In July, Governor Abiodun formally presented the APC ticket to the Ijebu Traditional Council and sought the support of traditional rulers for the candidates ahead of the election.
Against this background, Sanusi urged APC members, supporters and the general public to disregard any declaration suggesting that another individual had replaced Adeola as the party’s candidate.
He said members should rely on official communications from the Ogun APC and relevant electoral authorities concerning the party’s candidates.
The development highlights the continuing tension within the Ogun APC over the outcome of the party’s governorship primary. While Adeola has been publicly presented by the party as its candidate, Hunye’s ongoing legal challenge means the dispute could remain a subject of political and judicial attention.
For now, the Ogun APC leadership maintains that Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola remains its governorship candidate for the 2027 election, with Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun as his running mate.
Ogun State is expected to witness a competitive governorship contest in 2027 as political parties prepare to succeed Governor Dapo Abiodun. The APC has settled on Adeola as its candidate following its May primary, while internal disagreements surrounding the process continue to generate political and legal activity. Adeola’s ticket is also backed by a running mate from Ogun East, reflecting the party’s stated objective of balancing the interests of the state’s three senatorial districts.
