Ogun 2027: Adeola, Hunye clash over Ekiti origin claim
…prove my Ekiti origin claim or face legal action
…we welcome the lawsuit — Hunye
By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta
The Ogun State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Solomon Adeola, has given Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain, Abayomi Hunye, and Ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello 24 hours to produce evidence to substantiate their claims that he is of Ekiti State origin or face legal action.
Adeola issued the ultimatum through his Media Adviser, Chief Kayode Odunaro, following separate appearances by Hunye and Marcus-Bello on programmes aired by Channels Television.
According to a statement by Odunaro, the two politicians allegedly claimed during their television appearances that Adeola was originally from Ekiti State, among other allegations, without providing evidence to substantiate the claims.
Adeola described the allegations as false and defamatory, challenging his accusers to produce documentary evidence to support their claims.
“I watched in utter disbelief as these characters that I hardly know utter assertive and outrageous lies about my origin without any proof,” Adeola said.
“One falsely claimed on TV that I am from Ekiti and, when asked where exactly in Ekiti, went blank and could not provide an answer.
“The other one was lying about the locations of the graves of my parents as if she was part of the undertakers at the burial, all in a futile effort to justify an unsustainable falsehood.
“Enough is enough. They should produce their evidence in 24 hours or be ready for my lawsuits,” he added.
Adeola’s camp alleged that claims about his purported Ekiti origin had previously been deployed as a political campaign strategy to frustrate his emergence as senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District.
The statement said the allegations did not stop Adeola from winning the 2023 National Assembly election, adding that he secured what it described as massive support from voters across the senatorial district.
It further alleged that the controversy had resurfaced against the backdrop of Adeola’s ambition to contest the 2027 Ogun State governorship election on the APC platform.
Odunaro maintained that the latest allegations were part of an attempt to undermine Adeola’s political aspiration ahead of the election.
However, Hunye welcomed Adeola’s threat of legal action, saying he was prepared to meet the senator in court and had documentary evidence to support his position.
In a statement issued through his Media Adviser, Femi Oyewale, Hunye said the threat of a lawsuit was welcome, while alleging that the issue concerning Adeola’s ancestry was already before a court.
“We are more than ready to meet Senator Adeola in a court of competent jurisdiction,” Hunye said.
“Interestingly, it seems they are not well informed that the matter is already in court. Threatening us with a lawsuit, therefore, is like a political jamboree designed to make noise in the public.”
Hunye accused Adeola’s camp of attempting to intimidate critics and divert attention from questions surrounding the senator’s ancestry and eligibility to govern Ogun State.
“For far too long, the political space in Ogun West has been subjected to intimidation, high-handedness, and the suppression of truth through propaganda and sponsored brickbats,” he alleged.
He argued that questions surrounding a political candidate’s origin and eligibility were matters of public interest rather than private issues.
“The issue of a candidate’s origin and eligibility is a matter of constitutional concern, not a private affair,” Hunye said.
“It touches on the integrity of our democratic institutions and the aspirations of the good people of Ogun State, who deserve a leader whose roots and allegiance are indisputably local.”
Hunye also maintained that truth would constitute a defence against a libel action, urging Adeola to approach the court if he believed the allegations were defamatory.
“We wish to remind the Senator and his media handlers that truth is an absolute defence against libel,” he said.
“Rather than engaging in empty threats and grandstanding on national television, Senator Adeola should save his energy and approach the court immediately.”
Hunye said he would not be intimidated by the threat of litigation, promising to present what he described as “robust, verifiable facts and documentary evidence” to substantiate the claims concerning Adeola’s alleged Ekiti ancestry.
“The courtroom is where evidence is tested, not the pages of newspapers or sponsored broadcast interviews,” he said.
He urged residents of Ogun State, particularly those in Ogun West, to remain calm, saying the matter would ultimately be determined on the basis of evidence.
“We are prepared to strip bare all falsehoods in the open court of law, where facts, not political titles, will speak,” Hunye added.
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