The All Progressives Congress (APC) has escalated its dispute with Abayomi Hunye over the party’s governorship ticket in Ogun State by petitioning the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, to investigate, arrest and prosecute the governorship aspirant for allegedly presenting himself as the party’s candidate.
The petition, dated 24 August and submitted at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, marks a new phase in the disagreement over the APC’s nomination process in Ogun State, after the party publicly disowned Mr Hunye and reaffirmed Ogun West senator, Solomon Olamilekan, popularly known as Yayi, as its candidate for the January 2027 election.
The party also identified Kudirat Balogun as Mr Olamilekan’s running mate.
Signed by Ayoola Olajolo, Director of Administration at the APC National Headquarters, the petition accused Mr Hunye of false representation, impersonation and conduct capable of causing a breach of public peace.
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The APC also alleged that his actions violated provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
“The subject has notoriously and unlawfully taken to the public domain, including print and social media, parading himself as the Governorship Candidate of our Party for the forthcoming January 2027 election,” the party said in the petition.
“I wish to state unequivocally that this claim is false, fraudulent, and a deliberate act of impersonation designed to mislead the public and destabilise the peace of Ogun State.”
Hunye was suspended
The party’s petition placed considerable emphasis on Mr Hunye’s membership status, arguing that he could not legitimately represent the APC because he had been suspended from the party months before the governorship nomination dispute intensified.
According to the APC, Mr Hunye was suspended on 7 April, following a petition initiated by his ward, Tube Ward, in Ipokia Local Government Area.
The suspension, the party said, was subsequently ratified at the local government level and by the Ogun State Working Committee before being communicated to the national headquarters.
The APC attached documents to its petition which it said included certified copies of the suspension letter and notices relating to its ratification.
The party said the suspension followed allegations that Mr Hunye engaged in anti-party activities, carried out dealings that were injurious to the image and interests of the APC and took deliberate actions capable of creating disaffection and division among party members.
The national leadership subsequently reiterated on 24 August that Mr Hunye remained suspended and therefore lacked the authority to represent the party or claim its governorship ticket.
Beyond Mr Hunye’s suspension, the APC based its stance on the Ogun governorship ticket on the completion of its nomination process and the submission of its candidates’ particulars to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The party said it had concluded its governorship primary and nominated Mr Olamilekan as its candidate.
It further said the particulars of Mr Olamilekan and his running mate, Mrs Balogun, had been submitted to INEC, with acknowledgement slips issued by the electoral commission.
The APC said the submission was made on 7 August.
The party, therefore, argued that Mr Hunye’s continued claim to the ticket could mislead voters, party members and members of the public about the identity of the APC’s candidate for the election.
The Ogun State chapter had separately reaffirmed Mr Olamilekan as its candidate after Mr Hunye publicly challenged the party’s position. The state chapter said Mr Olamilekan emerged from the party’s primary with 304,055 votes out of 305,287 accredited voters.
The APC’s national leadership had also described Mr Hunye as an impostor and warned individuals and organisations against conducting political transactions with him in relation to the party’s governorship candidacy.
Calls to prosecute Hunye
In its latest petition, the party asked the police to intervene before the dispute escalates into a wider security problem in Ogun State.
The APC specifically asked the IGP to direct the police to invite Mr Hunye for questioning over what it described as possible offences under Nigerian law.
It further requested that, following investigation, Mr Hunye be prosecuted for alleged impersonation, conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace and violations of the Electoral Act 2026.
The party also asked the police to restrain him from further presenting himself as the APC’s governorship candidate.
“In view of the foregoing, I most respectfully pray that you use your good office to direct the immediate intervention of the Nigeria Police Force to invite Mr Abayomi Hunye for immediate questioning regarding the aforementioned infringements and probable commission of offences against Nigerian Laws,” the petition said.
The APC added that he should be prosecuted after investigation and restrained from further parading himself as its candidate “to prevent a total breakdown of law and order in Ogun State.”
The party pledged to cooperate fully with the police investigation, saying its national and Ogun State structures would provide witness statements and other supporting evidence whenever required.
Hunye rejects APC’s position
Mr Hunye has, however, rejected the characterisation of his actions as impersonation.
He has maintained that he is challenging the process through which Mr Olamilekan emerged as the APC candidate and has said he has gone to court to contest the outcome.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Mr Hunye denied that he was unlawfully parading himself as the APC candidate. He said he was pursuing a legal challenge to the primary and questioned why the party sold him a N50 million nomination form and cleared him to participate if a decision had already been made in favour of Mr Olamilekan.
Mr Hunye also alleged that some APC leaders threatened him to withdraw from the contest, claims which have further deepened the dispute over the party’s nomination process.
Backstory
The disagreement relates to the APC’s preparations for the 2027 governorship election.
The party had settled on Mr Olamilekan, who represents Ogun West in the Senate, as its preferred candidate. The state governor, Dapo Abiodun, formally presented him to APC stakeholders in Ogun West in May as the party’s consensus candidate.
Mr Abiodun said the decision to support a candidate from Ogun West was intended to address what he described as a longstanding imbalance, noting that the senatorial district had not produced a governor since the creation of Ogun State.
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Mr Hunye nevertheless participated in the party’s nomination process and subsequently rejected the outcome.
In June, he demanded the cancellation of the APC governorship primary, alleging irregularities in the exercise. He questioned how he could have received zero votes despite claiming to have supporters across the state’s 236 wards and 20 local government areas.
The dispute continued even after the party proceeded with Mr Olamilekan’s candidacy.
In June, APC leaders in Mr Hunye’s Tube Ward publicly backed Mr Olamilekan and rejected attempts to challenge the primary outcome, saying the party’s decision should be respected.
The party subsequently unveiled Mrs Balogun as Mr Olamilekan’s running mate. Her selection followed the party’s decision to zone the deputy governorship position to Ogun East Senatorial District.
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