All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant in Ogun State, Abayomi Hunye, has challenged the party to produce documents supporting its claim that he was suspended before participating in the party’s governorship nomination process.

Hunye, who spoke at a briefing in Lagos, on Friday, said the dispute over his participation in the APC governorship process should be resolved through documentary evidence and the courts rather than political declarations.

He said he was not asking the media or the public to declare him the party’s governorship candidate, stressing that his position was that the circumstances surrounding his participation in the process should be examined and determined in accordance with the law.

The aspirant who was represented by his Media Adviser Femi Oyewale said the APC had claimed that he was suspended on April 7, 2026, following a petition allegedly originating from a parallel ward in Tube, Ipokia Local Government Area.

Hunye, however, said he was not served with a suspension letter before proceeding with the governorship nomination process.

“My question is straightforward: When was I formally served with the alleged suspension?” he asked.

He challenged the party to produce the alleged suspension petition, suspension letter, evidence of service, minutes or resolution approving the suspension, as well as other relevant documents establishing the chronology.

Hunye said the events that followed the alleged April 7 suspension raised questions about the party’s handling of his nomination.

According to him, he obtained the APC governorship nomination documents from the party’s National Secretariat on April 28, 2026, and paid N50 million for the required forms.

He questioned why he was permitted to obtain the forms, have his application processed and continue with the nomination process if the alleged suspension had already taken effect.

“If I had already been suspended on April 7, why was I permitted to obtain the nomination documents on April 28? Why was my application processed? Why was I allowed to continue with the nomination process?” he asked.

Hunye also questioned his participation in the screening process, saying he maintained that he was cleared to contest.

He said the party should explain why he was allowed to proceed through the screening process if the alleged suspension was valid, subsisting and known to the relevant party authorities.

The aspirant also challenged the circumstances surrounding the May 21 APC governorship primary, where Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, was declared winner and Hunye was recorded as receiving zero votes.

Hunye said he was not asking the press to declare the result fraudulent, but was questioning the transparency and integrity of the process.

He said his campaign organisation disputed the announced figures, claiming it had evidence that some party loyalists voted for him and that some of them were allegedly harassed or injured.

“Is it possible for an aspirant to vote against himself?” Hunye asked, while calling for the release of accreditation records, result sheets, agents’ reports and polling and collation records.

He said the figures should be capable of being reconciled from the relevant voting points through the various stages of collation.

Hunye said he initially sought to resolve the dispute through the party’s internal mechanisms rather than immediately approaching the courts.

According to him, he appealed the outcome by writing to the appropriate appeal committee and the party chairman, requesting a review of the result and clarification of the issues he raised.

He said he received no response despite the appeal, adding that he subsequently placed a paid public advertisement on the Monday following the primary to draw attention to the appeal and the issues surrounding the result.

Hunye said his decision to approach the Federal High Court in Abuja followed the failure of the internal processes to provide a response.

“My decision to approach the court was therefore not impulsive, nor was it intended to undermine the party. It followed my attempt to resolve the matter through the internal mechanisms of the party,” he said.

He said his legal challenge should not be viewed as a personal battle against Adeola, stressing that the senator had the right to defend his emergence while he also had the right to challenge a process in which he participated.

Hunye said the central issue was whether the process through which the APC governorship ticket emerged complied with the applicable party rules and the law.

He also denied allegations that former federal lawmaker Ladi Adebutu was sponsoring his legal and political activities against Adeola or against the emergence of a Yewa candidate in Ogun State.

“That allegation is false,” he said, adding that he had never entered into an arrangement with Adebutu to pursue his political ambition or undermine Yewa interests.

Hunye challenged anyone making the allegation to provide evidence, saying his disagreement with the APC primary was based on issues arising from the process in which he participated.

The governorship aspirant also rejected the APC’s allegation that he was impersonating its recognised governorship candidate.

The party had, according to Hunye, petitioned the Inspector-General of Police on August 24, 2026, over allegations including impersonation and conduct capable of causing a breach of public peace.

Hunye said he had not secretly declared himself the APC candidate, but was openly challenging the process through which the candidate emerged.

“There is a fundamental difference between saying, ‘I am the recognised candidate,’ and saying, ‘I am challenging the process through which the candidate was produced.’ My position is the latter,” he said.

He called on the APC to make available the documents underpinning its position, including the original suspension petition, suspension letter, evidence of service, relevant minutes and resolutions, ratification documents, communication of the suspension to the national secretariat, screening and clearance records, accreditation figures and polling and collation records.

Hunye also urged the media to independently investigate the controversy by seeking answers from the APC and all other relevant parties.

He said journalists should establish when the alleged suspension took effect, how it was communicated to him, how he obtained the nomination documents, why he was allowed to participate in screening and the primary, and whether his internal appeal received a response.

He urged the APC leadership to allow documentary evidence to determine the controversy.

“If I violated any party rule, let the evidence be produced. If I committed an offence, let the appropriate authorities investigate. If the primary was conducted in accordance with the rules, let the records demonstrate it,” he said.

Hunye also appealed to his supporters to remain peaceful and disciplined, warning them against insults, threats or attacks on anyone in his name.

He said he would respect the eventual decision of the court, regardless of the outcome.

“I will not pronounce myself the winner of a case that is before the court. I will not ask the media to pronounce me the winner. I will not ask anyone to disregard the law,” he said.

Hunye said the controversy was bigger than his personal political ambition, describing it as a question of the standards expected of political parties and democratic processes.

He said, “I have chosen evidence. I have chosen the courts. I have chosen peace. And I will continue to choose the law.”

Also speaking, the Legal Adviser to the aspirant, Olamide Victor, said failure to resolve the issues surrounding the APC governorship primary could affect the party’s prospects in the 2027 governorship election.

Victor argued that it was in the interest of the APC to address the dispute and consider the emergence of another candidate, alleging that Adeola had “a lot of baggage” which, he said, opposition parties could seek to exploit during the election.

He said the party should consider the broader implications of the controversy and take steps to resolve the issues before the 2027 election.