By Akinwale Kasali
As the 2027 electioneering campaign takes center stage, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Governorship Candidate, Akinbola Hammed Rotham, has sued the All Progressives Congress, APC, Gubernatorial Candidate, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popular as Yayi, to challenge his eligibility and documentary claims concerning his indigeneship status in Ogun State.
Rotham said the legal action was not motivated by personal animosity, but by what he described as the need to subject every Candidate seeking to govern Ogun State to the same standard of constitutional compliance, documentary integrity and public accountability.
He stated that documents he obtained from electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, through the Freedom of Information process have raised questions that, in his view, require judicial determination.
“This is not about money, influence, political connections or who has the biggest political machinery. It is about eligibility, documentation, truth and the integrity of the electoral process,” Rotham said.
The NNPP candidate alleged that Senator Adeola’s political career has been predominantly associated with Lagos State, where he served at different levels of elective office, including as a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, a member of the House of Representatives and later as Senator representing Lagos West.
Rotham said this history has created legitimate questions about the senator’s subsequent political claim to Ogun West and his emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate for the 2027 Ogun governorship election.
The NNPP Candidate further challenged Yayi to produce the relevant documentary evidence establishing the basis of his claim to Ogun State and, specifically, Ogun West.
“I am challenging Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola Yayi to prove his eligibility. Let him place before the people of Ogun State and, ultimately, the court, the documents upon which his claim to Ogun West and his qualification to seek the governorship are founded,” he said.
Rotham stressed that the issue must not be reduced to a contest between political heavyweights.
“Having money and political influence does not place anyone above the law. Ogun State is not an extension of Lagos, and its governorship cannot be treated as a prize to be transferred to whoever possesses the greatest political machinery.”
He further questioned what he described as discrepancies surrounding Senator Adeola’s names and called for an explanation of the circumstances surrounding the different names allegedly appearing at different stages of his public and professional life.
“The people of Ogun State deserve clarity on the identity and documentary history of anyone seeking their mandate. If there are different names in official or historical records, the public deserves to know why those changes occurred, when they occurred and what documents support them.”
He added that he would leave the determination of the legal consequences of any alleged discrepancy to the courts rather than prejudging the matter.
The NNPP candidate said his challenge was intended to test the strength of the APC candidate’s documentation and not to pronounce him guilty of any offence.
“If the documents Are Clean, Let the Court Decide. I am not the court. I am a political candidate exercising my right to question the eligibility of another candidate. If Senator Yayi’s records are clean and his eligibility is beyond question, let him defend them before the appropriate authorities and the court.”
He, however, rejected suggestions that his challenge was driven by fear of the APC candidate’s political strength.
“I may not have the financial resources that Senator Yayi commands, but I have something money cannot purchase — integrity, courage and a determination to stand up for what I believe is right.”
Beyond the courtroom, Rotham challenged Senator Adeola to a public debate on his political history, eligibility and claim to Ogun State.
“I challenge Senator Yayi to a public debate. Let us sit before the people of Ogun State and answer the difficult questions. Let him explain his political journey, his documentary claims, his connection with Ogun West and why Ogun people should entrust him with the leadership of the state.”
He further stressed that Ogun voters should not be asked to surrender their democratic choice to money, influence or political consensus reached behind closed doors.
He also criticised the APC’s handling of its internal nomination process, particularly the reported treatment of other aspirants.
Rotham questioned how a contestant could allegedly receive no vote in a direct primary and yet remain part of a political process that was subsequently presented as producing a consensus candidate.
“I have never met Hunye, and I am not his supporter. But an injustice to one person is an injustice to all. Political parties must not turn internal democracy into a predetermined exercise where aspirants are denied a genuine opportunity to compete.”
Rotham said the controversy surrounding the APC nomination process demonstrates, in his view, why Ogun voters should consider alternatives outside the established political structure.
The NNPP Candidate hails from Ogun West and is contesting the 2027 Governorship Election on the NNPP platform, positioned his candidacy as a challenge to what he described as the political marginalisation of the senatorial district.
He said his candidacy represents an opportunity for voters across Ogun State to consider a candidate whose political identity and roots, he argued, are firmly connected to the state.
“I am a son of Yewa Land. I am from Ogun West. My eligibility is open to scrutiny, and I am ready to face anybody in court, at a public debate and at the ballot box.
“Ogun West Must Not Be Colonised Politically. Ogun West has waited long enough. We cannot continue to allow money and political influence from outside the state to determine who speaks for us and who governs us.”
Rotham, however, said his objection was directed at the specific questions surrounding Senator Adeola’s eligibility and not against candidates whose credentials, in his assessment, are not similarly disputed.
“If the candidate were someone like GNI, Akinlade or Hunye, whose connection to Ogun State is not the subject of the same questions I am raising, I would have no reason to raise this particular objection. My concern is that whoever seeks the governorship of Ogun State must be able to answer legitimate questions about his eligibility and documentation.”
