Hunye Alleges Plot to Strip His Security Detail, Vows to Stay in Race

The governorship ambition of Hon. Abayomi Hunye, an All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant in Ogun State, has taken a more serious turn after his media office alleged that moves are being made to withdraw the security personnel attached to him.

In a strongly worded statement, the Hunye Media Office claimed that pressure was being mounted on security agencies to pull out the personnel assigned to the aspirant. According to the statement, the pressure was allegedly coming from the Office of the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Security, working in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

The campaign team described the alleged move as a matter of urgent concern. It argued that withdrawing his security personnel at this stage of his political activities could expose Hunye, his family and members of his campaign organisation to serious security risks.

The statement called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Chief of Army Staff and the APC national leadership to intervene. It urged the federal security authorities to resist what it called political pressure and to keep Hunye’s protection in place pending a proper assessment of the situation.

Hunye’s media office further alleged that the development could amount to an attempt to use security arrangements as a political weapon against an aspirant within the ruling party.

“Politics must never be reduced to state-sponsored intimidation, political vendetta, or weaponised endangerment of human life,” the statement said.

The campaign team also warned that any security incident involving Hunye, his family or campaign officials would raise questions about the circumstances surrounding the alleged withdrawal of his security detail.

Despite the development, the statement declared that Hunye would not abandon his governorship ambition. It also appealed to civil society organisations, elder statesmen, political leaders and other stakeholders to pay attention to the allegation and make sure political competition in Ogun State does not degenerate into threats to personal safety.

The allegations could not be independently verified at the time of filing this report. The statement did not contain any response from the Ogun State Government, the Special Adviser on Security, the SSG’s office or the security agencies concerned.