An All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship aspirant in Ogun State, Abayomi Hunye, has dismissed claims that he stepped down, saying he remains in the race for 2027.
Hunye, who hails from Ogun West Senatorial District, spoke on Saturday at a press conference held in Abeokuta.
Speaking at the gathering which had hundreds of party faithful in attendance, Hunye also unveiled his deputy governorship candidate, Abayomi Odunowo, for the election.
His decision contrasted sharply with the recent adoption of the senator representing Ogun West, Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the APC’s consensus governorship candidate.
The decision was reached at the APC strategic caucus meeting held at the party secretariat in Abeokuta.
The meeting was attended by former governors and all APC gubernatorial aspirants, except Hunye.
Hunye, the immediate past Managing Director of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority, OGWAMA, sent shockwaves across the Ogun APC when the party’s ₦50 million nomination form was obtained on his behalf by a third party in Abuja.
During the governorship primary held in May, the APC declared Yayi as the winner.
Chairman of the Ogun State Governorship Electoral Committee, Wale Ohu, announced that Adeola secured 304,055 votes out of the 305,287 accredited voters who participated in the exercise and his only challenger, Abayomi Hunye, polled no votes.
Hunye later dragged the party and Yayi to court to nullify the primary election, citing widespread irregularities and the disenfranchisement of his supporters after he was allocated zero votes.
However, Hunye on Saturday unveiled his running mate in Abeokuta, stressing that contrary to claims that the matter had been settled, he’s still in the race.
He explained that he decided to come out now because of provisions in the amended Electoral Act.
He said, “They said they have made some appeals to me and I have stepped down. Some said it has been settled. I want to tell everybody in Ogun that that’s a big lie.
“I am still in the race. We are in court. And I am believing God that at the end of the day, victory is His. I have decided to keep quiet before. But two reasons I changed my mind.”
According to him, the law says no court will grant relief to any aspirant or candidate who did not participate in the electoral process.
“One, I looked at the new amended constitution. It said no court will oblige any candidate or aspirant that is challenging any candidate in court that refuses to participate in the process. The first process was the primary and the second process starting on the 9th of September is the campaign.
“So if you are sure that you are actually a candidate or in turn you have gone to court, you must also participate in the next phase of the election process. And on this note, so that at the end of the day, nobody will get to the court and say, yes, he is qualified, he met all the criteria. But one thing, there was no evidence of campaigning.”
He disclosed that the second reason for unveiling a running mate is to avoid being imposed upon.
“As of today now, all the assembly has been picked. They also picked a deputy governor. If I refuse to pick my deputy governor, I will be compelled to adopt theirs, which is more dangerous than even contesting at all.
“We have been both as parents in this state. I want to tell you, if not because it is the turn of Yewa , that’s my belief. If it were to be the turn of Ogun East, I would have supported him in the same way.”
“I have the grace of God, and the support of everybody sitting here, to announce to you today, my friend, Otunba Abayomi Odunowo, as my deputy,” he declared.
