Ogun 2027: Yayi Faces Perjury Allegation Over Conflicting State-of-Origin Declarations

The controversy surrounding the state of origin of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has taken a new turn, with his critics alleging that the issue goes beyond his ancestry to possible contradictions in documents submitted under oath.

The allegation was contained in a writeup titled, “Perjury Is the Offence: Yayi Lied on Oath and Is Not Fit to Be Governor,” written by Victo Agaga which argued that the central issue was not whether Adeola is originally from Ogun or Ekiti State, but whether he made contradictory declarations about his origin in official documents.

According to the writeup, Adeola’s alleged declarations in documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) identified different states as his state of origin.

The author claimed that Certified True Copies of documents obtained from INEC showed references to Ekiti, Lagos and Ogun states in connection with Adeola’s state-of-origin declarations.

He argued that if the documents are authentic and the declarations were made under oath, the alleged contradictions could raise questions about whether false information was knowingly given in a sworn declaration.

The writeup described the alleged conduct as “perjury,” insisting that the matter should be determined by the courts rather than by political arguments over Adeola’s ancestry.

NAIJAONPOINT reports that under perjury, under Nigeria’s Criminal Code, involves knowingly giving false evidence on oath in circumstances covered by the law, with Section 118 providing for punishment for the offence. However, whether a particular declaration amounts to perjury depends on the facts and evidence established before a competent court.

The controversy comes amid renewed disputes over Adeola’s background ahead of the 2027 Ogun governorship election. Adeola recently threatened legal action against two political figures, Abayomi Hunye and Ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello, over claims that he is originally from Ekiti State. He described the allegations as false and demanded evidence within 24 hours.

Adeola’s supporters, however, have maintained that he is an indigene of Ogun State. Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, recently defended Adeola’s Ogun ancestry, saying his paternal and maternal roots are linked to Ogun communities.

The senator himself, in his official biography, says he was born in Lagos to Ayinde and Abeeni Ogunleye and was raised in Lagos, while his political career has included representation of Lagos West in the Senate before his election to represent Ogun West.

The latest allegation, however, shifts attention from the question of where Adeola’s ancestors came from to what he allegedly declared in official records.

The writeup further alleged that company registration records from 2000 also contained variations of names associated with Adeola and other individuals, and questioned the consistency of the identities contained in those records. Those claims would similarly require verification against the original corporate records before any conclusion can be drawn.

The author also sought to distinguish Adeola’s case from previous political controversies involving politicians whose ancestry had been questioned, arguing that the critical issue in Adeola’s case was allegedly not ancestry but whether contradictory information was supplied in sworn electoral documents.

Meanwhile, the legal debate over Adeola’s eligibility must be distinguished from the question of his state of origin. Section 177 of the 1999 Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, provides that a person seeking election as governor must be a Nigerian citizen by birth, at least 35 years old, a member of and sponsored by a political party, and educated to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent. The provision does not itself require a candidate to be an indigene of the state.

The question now raised by Adeola’s critics is therefore whether the alleged discrepancies in his sworn declarations exist, what the original documents actually contain, and, if contradictions are established, what legal consequences may follow.

With the 2027 Ogun governorship contest already generating legal and political disputes, the issue is likely to remain a subject of public attention pending any determination by the relevant authorities or the courts.