The controversy over the ancestry of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has intensified, with the senator and a member of the party, Abayomi Hunye, exchanging words over claims linking him to Ekiti State.
Adeola, who represents Ogun West in the Senate, had threatened legal action against Hunye and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello, over their alleged claims that he is an indigene of Ekiti State.
Hunye, however, has welcomed the threat, insisting that he is prepared to defend his position in court and present documentary evidence to support his claim.
In a statement issued through his media aide, Femi Oyewale, on Tuesday, Hunye said the controversy should be settled through the judicial process rather than through media exchanges.
“We want to state categorically that we welcome the threat of a lawsuit with open arms. We are more than ready to meet Senator Adeola in a court of competent jurisdiction,” he said.
Hunye also claimed that a legal matter relating to the disputed ancestry was already before a court, describing Adeola’s 24-hour ultimatum as a political tactic intended to attract public attention.
He accused the senator of attempting to intimidate individuals questioning his ancestry and eligibility ahead of the 2027 Ogun State governorship election.
“For far too long, the political space in Ogun West has been subjected to intimidation, high-handedness, and the suppression of truth through media propaganda and sponsored brickbats,” Hunye said.
He maintained that the question of a political candidate’s origin and eligibility was a matter of public interest, particularly as preparations for the 2027 election gather momentum.
According to him, “The issue of a candidate’s origin and eligibility is a matter of constitutional concern, not a private affair.”
Hunye further challenged Adeola to take the matter to court, saying he would present what he described as “robust, verifiable facts and documentary evidence” if the dispute came before the judiciary.
“The courtroom is where evidence is tested, not the pages of newspapers or sponsored broadcast interviews,” he said.
The latest exchange followed a statement by Adeola’s media adviser, Kayode Odunaro, who said Hunye and Marcus-Bello had made the claims about the senator’s alleged Ekiti ancestry during separate appearances on Channels Television programmes without providing evidence.
Adeola’s camp described the allegation as false and libellous, and demanded that the two individuals substantiate their claims.
The senator has also maintained that the allegation is not new, saying it had previously been deployed as a political campaign against his emergence as the senator representing Ogun West.
Amid the controversy, traditional authorities in Kemta, Ogun State, recently affirmed Adeola’s ancestral ties to the community.
The Oluwo of Kemta and Baaye of Egbaland, Chief Abayomi Rotimi, had declared at a press conference at the Ile Ogboni of Kemta that Adeola remained a son of the community.
“Yayi is one of us. He is our son,” Rotimi said, while cautioning against allowing political differences to interfere with the affairs of the traditional institution.
