NEWS
Ogun APC Guber Ticket Faces Legal Challenge Over 119 Campaign Vehicles, Alleged ₦500m Donation Breach
…as INEC Receives Petition Seeking Disqualification Of Senator Yayi Over Alleged ₦10bn Vehicle Donations
The 2027 governorship race in Ogun State has taken a fresh turn following a petition challenging the campaign-finance compliance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi.
The petition, filed by Ogun State politician and concerned citizen Adekunle Shomorin, calls for an investigation into 119 vehicles publicly acknowledged as donations to Adeola’s campaign, as well as the identities of the donors, ownership of the vehicles, their acquisition costs, market values and sources of funds. The petition was dated September 30, 2026, and was reportedly addressed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The controversy followed Adeola’s September 28, 2026 disclosure in which he acknowledged 22 individuals, companies and groups for providing the vehicles to support his governorship campaign and grassroots mobilisation across Ogun State. The reported fleet includes buses, an ambulance, a pickup vehicle and other forms of campaign transportation.
At the centre of the petition is the question of whether the value of some of the reported donations could amount to a breach of the campaign-finance limits contained in Nigeria’s Electoral Act 2026.
The petitioner particularly drew attention to businessman Akintunde Armstrong, who was credited with donating 26 buses.
Using an estimated value of ₦28 million per Toyota HiAce bus, the petition puts the estimated value of the 26 vehicles at about ₦728 million. On that calculation, the alleged contribution would exceed the ₦500 million maximum donation permitted to an individual or entity under Section 92(8) of the Electoral Act 2026.
Other reported contributors include Alhaji IBD Dende, who was listed with seven buses and an ambulance, while Zacobass Oil & Gas, Stonebridge Engineering Services Limited, Elele Ijebu, Amazon Luxury Apartments, Mr Osho and Polanco were each listed as contributors of 10 buses.
The petition also raises questions over the identities and traceability of some individuals listed among the donors, including names such as “Citiside Brother”, “Sanusi Friend”, “Olafem Citi Friend”, “Onaolapo Brother”, “OJ”, “Polanco”, “Efele Ijebu” and “Nafiu Abimbola & Friend”.
The petitioner wants the relevant authorities to establish the full identities and addresses of the persons behind such names and determine whether the listed donations were made in compliance with Nigeria’s campaign-finance laws.
Section 92 of the Electoral Act 2026 places a ₦3 billion ceiling on election expenses that may be incurred by a governorship candidate. The same section provides that an individual or other entity shall not donate more than ₦500 million to a candidate.
The new law substantially increased the previous governorship campaign expenditure limit from ₦1 billion to ₦3 billion, while also raising the individual or entity donation ceiling from ₦50 million to ₦500 million.
Consequently, the petition argues that the value and treatment of the 119 vehicles should be properly established to determine whether they constitute donations, campaign expenditure or another category of political support under the law.
The latest controversy has also revived attention around an earlier announcement by the Yayi Progressives Movement.
In May 2026, the group announced ₦1 billion in campaign support for Adeola and unveiled 27 buses for mobilisation and campaign activities ahead of the 2027 election.
The petitioner is seeking clarification on how that earlier support relates to the latest fleet of vehicles and whether all campaign-related contributions and expenditure have been appropriately accounted for.
Among the issues raised in the petition are demands for authorities to establish the identities of the donors, ownership and acquisition of the vehicles, their actual market values and the sources of funds used to procure them.
The petitioner also wants the relevant authorities to determine whether the reported donations comply with the Electoral Act 2026 and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
The petition further asks that Adeola and Armstrong provide explanations concerning the reported vehicles and that the campaign’s financial records be examined to determine whether the statutory spending and donation thresholds have been breached.
However, the filing of a petition does not by itself establish that an offence has occurred. The allegations remain claims requiring investigation and, where necessary, determination by the appropriate authorities or courts.
The petitioner summed up his position by stating: “This petition is not political. It concerns compliance with the law… A candidate who gains an advantage through a breach of the electoral finance rules should not benefit from it.”
The development adds a new legal and financial dimension to the unfolding 2027 Ogun governorship contest, with attention now focused on the identities of the donors, the actual value of the vehicles, the treatment of the donations under the Electoral Act and the response of Senator Adeola, his campaign organisation, the APC an
d the relevant regulatory authorities.