Abeokuta — September 15, 2026
A fresh political storm is brewing ahead of Ogun State’s 2027 governorship race, after APC candidate Senator Solomon Adeola issued a 24-hour ultimatum to two rivals over claims that he hails from Ekiti State rather than Ogun.
The warning, delivered through Adeola’s media adviser Kayode Odunaro, targets PDP chieftain Abayomi Hunye and Ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello. Both had made the origin claims during separate appearances on Channels Television, according to Adeola’s camp, without offering supporting evidence.
Adeola dismissed the allegations as false and defamatory, and demanded documentary proof within a day or he would pursue legal action. He accused Hunye of stumbling when pressed for specifics, saying his accuser “went blank and could not provide an answer” when asked exactly where in Ekiti he was supposedly from. He was equally sharp toward Marcus-Bello, rejecting her claims about the location of his parents’ graves as baseless.
Adeola’s team framed the controversy as a recycled political tactic, noting the same claims had surfaced before his 2023 election as senator for Ogun West — a race he won comfortably despite the allegations. His camp argues the issue has resurfaced now specifically because of his gubernatorial ambitions.
Hunye, for his part, said he welcomed the threat of a lawsuit rather than fearing it. Speaking through his media adviser Femi Oyewale, he revealed that a case touching on Adeola’s ancestry is already before the courts, calling the senator’s ultimatum a distraction rather than a genuine legal move.
He pushed back hard against suggestions that he was spreading falsehoods, insisting that questions about a governorship candidate’s origin and eligibility are a matter of public and constitutional concern — not a private dispute. Hunye maintained that truth would be his defence in any libel case and urged Adeola to take the matter to court rather than “national television,” where he said the senator was merely grandstanding.
Promising to produce what he called robust and verifiable documentary evidence, Hunye called on residents of Ogun West to stay calm, insisting the dispute would ultimately be settled by facts rather than political noise.
With both camps digging in and a court case reportedly already underway, the row over Adeola’s ancestry looks set to remain a flashpoint in the run-up to the 2027 Ogun State governorship contest.
Comments