Gbenga Daniel benefitted from consensus process he now attacks — Ogun govt

By James Ogunnaike

Ogun State Government on Wednesday lashed out at former governor and Senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel, describing his recent criticisms of Governor Dapo Abiodun as “the rantings of a drowning politician” who is now demonising the same political arrangement that facilitated his emergence as Senator in 2023.

The government said it was ironic that Daniel, who allegedly benefited from the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus arrangement through the intervention of Governor Abiodun ahead of the 2023 elections, had suddenly turned against the same party structure and collective decision-making process that secured his senatorial ticket.

Daniel, during his Midterm Assessment and Empowerment Tour in Ijebu Ode, had accused Governor Abiodun of neglecting Ijebuland, frustrating federal projects attracted by him, causing Ogun State to lose the proposed Dangote Refinery project and opposing the establishment of a naval base in Abigi.

Reacting in a statement issued on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, dismissed the allegations as baseless, politically motivated and symptomatic of a politician allegedly battling declining influence within the APC.

According to Akinmade, Daniel had resorted to “cheap propaganda and outright falsehood” after allegedly realising that his political ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections had suffered a setback.

“Daniel is simply fighting the same consensus arrangement and party structure that produced him as Senator in 2023. It is shocking that someone who benefited immensely from the collective decision of the party is now demonising the same process simply because it no longer aligns with his personal ambition,” Akinmade stated.

He recalled that Governor Abiodun, in the interest of party unity and cohesion, reportedly persuaded other aspirants, including the then incumbent senator, to step down for Daniel during the 2023 Ogun East Senatorial contest.

“The governor ensured a peaceful consensus arrangement that paved the way for Daniel’s emergence as the APC senatorial candidate. It is therefore ironic that the same individual now seeks to discredit the party and its leadership merely because he could not have his way politically,” he added.

The government maintained that residents of Ogun State, particularly in Ijebuland, remained appreciative of the developmental strides of the Abiodun administration, especially in the area of infrastructure renewal and road rehabilitation.

“Everybody in the state, especially in Ijebuland, appreciates the modest achievements of Governor Dapo Abiodun. Most of the deplorable roads abandoned by previous administrations have now been fixed, while about 29 major road projects have been completed in Ijebu Ode alone,” Akinmade said.

The statement also faulted Daniel’s comparison of federal allocations received during his tenure as governor with those accruing to the current administration, accusing him of ignoring prevailing economic realities and the sharp depreciation of the naira.

“It is interesting that Daniel, who left office in 2011 when the exchange rate hovered between N150 and N170 to a dollar, is now claiming he would have executed more projects with current allocations at a time the dollar exchanges for over N1,370. In his desperation to attack the governor, he ignored basic economic realities,” the statement added.

On Daniel’s allegation that Governor Abiodun frustrated the Dangote Refinery project in Ogun State, the government described the claim as false and contrary to publicly available facts.

Akinmade referenced remarks credited to President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, during a visit to Abeokuta, where he reportedly commended the administration’s investor-friendly policies and enabling business environment.

The government added that the ongoing expansion of Dangote cement plants in Itori and Ibeshe reflected renewed investor confidence in Ogun State under the Abiodun administration.

The statement further accused Daniel of engaging in anti-party activities during the 2023 governorship election and other political contests in the state.

“The leadership and stakeholders of the APC in Ogun East became uncomfortable with Daniel’s repeated anti-party activities, including openly supporting opposition elements during the 2023 governorship election and other elections in the state,” Akinmade stated.

He also alleged that the former governor consistently disregarded party structures and due process by acting independently without adequate consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders.

Recalling a recent APC stakeholders’ meeting in Ijebu Ode, Akinmade alleged that Daniel attempted to create unnecessary tension by arriving at the venue with supporters and media personnel.

“The party took a collective decision, but he behaves as though he is bigger than the party. When Governor Abiodun was adopted as the consensus candidate for Ogun East, stakeholders from ward, local government and state levels were all present. So why is he now fighting the same process that once worked in his favour?” he queried.

The Ogun State Government, however, maintained that Governor Abiodun remained focused on governance and the delivery of developmental projects across the state despite what it described as distractions from political opponents.

Reacting to claims by the State government, Media Aide to Senator Daniel, Steve Oliyide, said his boss secured landslide victory during the primary election that produced him as Senatorial candidate of the district.

Oliyide stated that Daniel went through primary election, as against the claims by the State government that the exercise was merely a “consensus arrangement.”

According to Oliyide, results from the delegate-based primary conducted at Itoro Hall showed that Otunba Gbenga Daniel secured a landslide victory, polling 450 votes out of the 496 votes cast across the nine local government areas in Ogun East Senatorial District.

He said Daniel defeated other aspirants by a wide margin, with his closest challenger, Lekan Mustapha, polling 29 votes, while Seyi Oduntan garnered 11 votes and Segun Adesegun secured six votes.

A breakdown of the results indicated that Daniel dominated all the local government areas in the district, including Ijebu Ode, Remo North, Ijebu East, Ogun Waterside, Ikenne, Sagamu and Odogbolu.

In Ijebu Ode Local Government, Daniel polled 53 votes against Mustapha’s two votes, while in Remo North, he secured 50 votes with no opposition vote recorded for Mustapha.

Similarly, Daniel obtained 45 votes in Ijebu East against one vote for Mustapha, while in Ogun Waterside and Ikenne, he polled 49 and 50 votes respectively, with Mustapha recording no votes in both councils.

In Ijebu North Local Government, Daniel scored 43 votes, while Lekan Mustapha and Segun Adesegun secured six votes each.

Odogbolu produced one of the highest opposition tallies, with Daniel polling 55 votes against Mustapha’s 20 votes.

In Sagamu, Daniel recorded 69 votes, leaving Mustapha without a vote, while in Ijebu North East, Daniel secured 36 votes as Seyi Oduntan polled 11 votes.

The total number of accredited delegates for the exercise stood at 515, while 496 votes were eventually cast.

He added that the emergence of the detailed voting figures has continued to fuel debate among party members and political observers over the description of the process as a “consensus arrangement,” given the participation of multiple aspirants and the conduct of voting by delegates.

He noted that both Segun Adesegun and Seyi Oduntan were present at Itoro Hall during the exercise, a development many argued reflected a competitive primary rather than a unanimous endorsement process.

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