By Jimoh Babatunde

Former Nigerian Ambassador to Zambia and Malawi, Ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello, has challenged the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, to provide documentary evidence of his ancestry and Ogun State roots.

Marcus-Bello, who spoke on a television programme monitored on Sunday, said she was prepared to defend her position in court following Adeola’s reported threat of legal action over comments concerning his origin. She alleged that records relating to Adeola’s employment at The Guardian newspaper indicated Ekiti State as his state of origin, while noting that he later represented Alimosho in the Lagos State House of Assembly and Lagos in the Senate before emerging as the APC governorship candidate in Ogun State.

“I am a legal practitioner and I am still waiting to be sued,” Marcus-Bello said, challenging Adeola to take the matter to court so that the issue could be determined through evidence.

She said the controversy was particularly important because the 2027 contest involved the governorship of Ogun State and called for clarity over the candidate’s background.

Marcus-Bello also referred to documents which she said she believed could clarify some of the issues surrounding Adeola’s political and personal background, urging him to address the questions publicly or through the courts.

The former ambassador further alleged that she had documents relating to financial matters involving Adeola’s time in the Senate, but did not provide the documents during the television programme. She said she was prepared to present any relevant material before the appropriate authorities if required.

Adeola has previously rejected the claims concerning his origin and threatened legal action against those making them, challenging them to provide evidence to substantiate their assertions.

The dispute has added another dimension to the emerging political contest ahead of the 2027 Ogun State governorship election, with Marcus-Bello insisting that the questions surrounding Adeola’s ancestry should be resolved through verifiable records and, where necessary, the courts.