Hon. Abayomi Hunye, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ogun State, says he is still contesting the 2027 governorship election and has rejected claims that he withdrew to support the party’s consensus candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, widely known as Yayi.
Hunye spoke while presenting Otunba Abayomi Odunowo, another former governorship aspirant, as his running mate. He said the move was intended to keep his political organisation active through every stage of the electoral process.
The APC aspirant said he was challenging Adeola’s emergence as the party’s governorship candidate before the courts. He also disclosed that another hearing had been fixed for the following Thursday.
He called on his supporters to disregard rumours about his political plans, saying he remained certain that the judiciary would reach a fair decision on the dispute.
Hunye said his continued campaign preparations were based on his interpretation of amendments to the electoral framework. He argued that the revised provisions oblige candidates pursuing legal challenges to take part in later phases of the electoral process.
He said he had initially opted not to respond to the reports, but felt compelled to explain his position after what he termed inaccurate accounts of his alleged withdrawal.
He added that the decision to unveil a running mate was also prompted by the recent changes to the electoral rules. In his view, aspirants engaged in pre-election litigation must continue participating in the next stages of the process.
Hunye said he did not want to win his case in court only to be unable to show that he had taken part in the campaign activities.
He said the amendments had substantially altered the handling of pre-election disputes, including a provision requiring such cases to be settled before voting takes place.
Several other changes had also been made, he said, with pre-election cases now expected to be completed before the election instead of remaining unresolved for years.
Hunye said he was determined to comply with the new requirements and would not allow his campaign to be caught off guard. He stressed that taking part in the campaign did not amount to giving up his lawsuit.
The APC aspirant again said he trusted the judiciary and was firmly convinced that justice would prevail in his case.
“I remain a candidate in this contest. My challenge to Yayi’s announcement as the APC nominee is before the court, and we will return there next Thursday. I believe the final result will be in our favour,” he said.
He said the position had changed from the past, when someone could stay out of the electoral process and later ask a court to declare them the winner. Under the current arrangement, he argued, a contender must be involved at every stage.
“Our objective is to be present throughout the process, which is why we are here,” Hunye said.
He added that he did not want to appear before a judge after all the stages had been completed without being able to prove that his campaign had participated. “I do not want the process to take me by surprise,” he said.
Explaining his choice of running mate, Hunye said Odunowo had been selected because of his experience, competence and longstanding dedication to progressive politics in Ogun State.
He described Odunowo as a longstanding friend and political partner, saying the relationship was founded on trust and a common ambition for the state.
Hunye said that if the governorship ticket had been allocated to Ogun East, he would have accepted the position of Odunowo’s deputy. He described his running mate as someone with the ability to administer Ogun State successfully.
“I am confident in his skills and judgment, and I believe he has what it takes to lead and govern this state. With that level of capacity, we can work together to build a better future,” he said.
Hunye said Odunowo had made major contributions to the growth of the APC when the party was promoting progressive politics, including spending considerable personal funds. He added that no committed progressive in Ogun State could dispute that assessment.
Although he acknowledged the political difficulties facing his group, Hunye said he expected his supporters to remain loyal and believed the courts would eventually deliver justice.
He said the campaign would be sustained by party members, grassroots backers and what he called a genuinely independent judiciary.
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