“We Welcome the Lawsuit”: Hunye Fires Back at Yayi Over Ekiti Origin Claim, Says “Court Is Arena of Truth”

Ekiti Ancestry Row: Hunye Says Courtroom Is “the Arena of Truth,” Not Adeola’s Threats

What began as another political exchange in Ogun has now moved closer to the courtroom, with Hon. Abayomi Hunye daring Senator Solomon Adeola to turn his threatened lawsuit into a real legal battle.

Hunye’s camp says it is ready to defend its allegations concerning Adeola’s ancestry with documentary evidence, while insisting that the dispute should be determined by the courts rather than through press statements, television appearances or political grandstanding.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the latest confrontation followed a statement by Adeola’s Media Adviser, Chief Kayode Odunaro, threatening legal action over claims that the senator has an Ekiti ancestral background.

The allegation has become another flashpoint in the increasingly heated political battle surrounding the 2027 Ogun governorship contest.

ValidViewNetwork reports that Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has rejected the Ekiti-origin allegation and demanded that those making the claim provide evidence to support it. Recent reports also indicate that Hunye remains involved in the wider legal dispute surrounding Adeola’s candidacy.

In the latest response, Hunye’s Media Adviser, Femi Oyewale, said the campaign against his principal would not be silenced by threats of legal action.

Introducing the position of Hunye’s camp, Oyewale said the camp was not frightened by the prospect of litigation and was prepared to defend its claims before a competent court.

“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. Interestingly, it seems they are not well informed that the matter is already in court. Threatening us with a lawsuit, therefore, is like a political jamboree designed to make noise in the public.”

Oyewale then broadened the argument, accusing Adeola’s camp of using political influence and media exchanges to suppress dissenting voices in Ogun West.

He said:
“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. Senator Adeola’s resort to a 24-hour ultimatum and threats of legal action is nothing more than a familiar diversionary tactic, a media gimmick designed to bully dissenting voices and evade public accountability regarding his true identity and eligibility to govern Ogun State.”

The Hunye camp also argued that the controversy goes beyond a personal disagreement between two politicians because questions concerning a candidate’s origin and eligibility can have constitutional implications.

Oyewale stated:
“The issue of a candidate’s origin and eligibility is a matter of constitutional concern, not a private affair. It touches on the integrity of our democratic institutions and the aspirations of the good people of Ogun State, who deserve a leader whose roots and allegiance are indisputably local.”

The statement then directly challenged Adeola to abandon the media exchanges and pursue the legal route he had threatened.

Oyewale said:
“We wish to remind the Senator and his media handlers that truth is an absolute defence against libel. Rather than engaging in empty threats and grandstanding on national television, Senator Adeola should save his energy and approach the court immediately.”

Hunye’s camp also insisted that it would not withdraw from the dispute because of the threat of litigation.

According to Oyewale:
“We assure the public that we will not be cowed by intimidation or legal blackmail. In court, we will present robust, verifiable facts and documentary evidence substantiating our claims regarding his alleged Ekiti ancestry. The courtroom is where evidence is tested, not the pages of newspapers or sponsored broadcast interviews.”

The statement further appealed for calm among voters in Ogun State, particularly in Ogun West, while portraying the controversy as part of a wider political struggle over the state’s leadership.

Oyewale said:
“We urge the good people of Ogun State, particularly the resilient citizens of Ogun West, to remain calm and steadfast. The era of hoodwinking the electorate with superficial political gimmicks is over.”

The statement concluded with another declaration that the matter should ultimately be decided through evidence and judicial proceedings rather than political rhetoric.

Oyewale stated:
“We are prepared to strip bare all falsehoods in the open court of law, where facts, not political titles, will speak.”

The latest exchange follows Adeola’s demand that Hunye and others prove their allegation concerning his alleged Ekiti origin.

Reports on Tuesday said Adeola gave Hunye and another political figure, Ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello, 24 hours to substantiate the claim or face legal action.

The ancestry controversy is now unfolding alongside the broader legal and political contest over the 2027 Ogun governorship race.

Hunye has been challenging the political process surrounding Adeola’s candidacy, while Adeola’s camp has maintained that the allegations against him are unfounded.

At this stage, the competing claims remain allegations and counter-allegations.

Neither a press statement nor a political declaration can, by itself, establish a person’s ancestry or determine constitutional eligibility.

That is precisely why the most important part of this latest exchange may not be the insults, ultimatums or media appearances. It is the willingness of the parties to submit their claims, documents and objections to the institutions legally empowered to examine them.

Politics can be loud, but the law does not have to be.

If Hunye has evidence, the proper place to present it is the courtroom. If Adeola believes the allegations are false and defamatory, the courts provide him with a lawful avenue to challenge them.

Neither side gains legitimacy through intimidation, self-help or trial by media.

The broader principle is even more important for Ogun’s electorate. Questions about eligibility, origin and constitutional qualification should be settled through the Constitution, electoral law and competent judicial institutions, not through political muscle.

The 2027 contest will eventually be decided by law and by voters. Until then, every political actor has a responsibility to resist self-help and allow due process to take its course.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the Hunye camp has accepted Adeola’s legal challenge and says it is prepared to defend its allegations with documentary evidence.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the unfolding dispute now presents the courts with the opportunity to separate political rhetoric from legally testable facts.

And if the competing camps genuinely believe in the claims they are making, there should be no need for intimidation, political theatre or media warfare.

Let the evidence speak, let the law decide and let the constitutional process prevail, ValidViewNetwork reports.

For the good of Ogun State and the credibility of its 2027 democratic process, the courtroom, not the street or the media studio, should remain the arena for resolving claims that belong before the law, ValidViewNetwork reports.

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