Gbenga Daniel accuses Gov Abiodun of dictatorial intolerance, ‘witch-hunting’

The political rivalry in Ogun State escalated sharply on Sunday, with former Governor and current Senator for Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, leveling serious accusations of “political intolerance” and “witch-hunting” against incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun, alleging the Governor is unwilling to run an inclusive government.

Addressing party members during the Midterm Assessment Tour of his senatorial representation in Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu North Local Government Area, Daniel claimed the state’s governance had deteriorated into what he described as a “three-man closed government,” where voices offering constructive counsel outside a small inner circle are allegedly ostracized or victimized.

The Senator insisted that his purported indefinite suspension by the APC Ward 4 in Sagamu—which was later nullified by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC)—was not due to anti-party activities but was a direct result of the governor’s intolerance of dissent.

Speaking on his rift with the governor, Daniel said, “You are all aware of the recent political theatrics — the so-called suspension orchestrated by just two or three aides of the governor. Let me be clear: there were no anti-party activities from me or any member of the BATOGD Movement, before, during, or after any election. Our record is clean.”

Daniel alleged that his only ‘offence’ was offering counsel to the governor: “I have tried several times to advise this governor privately. The reward for my counsel was public ostracisation.” However, he warned that the situation escalated when essential development was compromised: “But when the very work we are doing for our people is being sabotaged, silence is no longer an option,” he added.

The former governor accused the state government of deliberately stopping work on Federal Government-facilitated constituency projects, including the rehabilitation of Itanrin Road and the General Hospital Road in Ijebu-Igbo, which were facilitated by his office under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He alleged that the state government assumed the contractors were “OGD’s contractors” and therefore moved to frustrate the projects. “A ‘stop-work order’ has been issued by the local government chairman under pressure. Why choose to fight the people? Why sabotage federal interventions? If by December 2025 this order is not lifted, the funding will be lost,” he warned.

Daniel said the state government’s actions have made Ogun State notorious among federal contractors, who allegedly now say: “If it’s Ogun State and you don’t know the governor, you are playing with a stop-work order.”

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He characterized the governance style since 2019 as being administered for a select few, noting that those who interact with perceived opponents of the government are threatened with sanctions, including demolition notices. “This is not governance; it is a cult, run with dictatorial instincts, treating our commonwealth as a personal estate,” he charged.

Daniel appealed to traditional rulers and leaders of thought across the state to prevail on Abiodun to halt what he called repeated stop-work orders on Federal Government-facilitated constituency projects meant for Ogun East, warning that these actions are shortchanging the people.

He also thanked President Bola Tinubu and the APC NWC for affirming that he remains a bonafide member of the ruling party, saying the intervention restored sanity to the Ogun chapter. He stated he is ready to defend himself before any legitimately constituted investigation panel.

In a swift reaction, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the Governor, Kayode Akinmade, dismissed Daniel’s claims as merely an attempt to escape accountability for alleged anti-party activities.

Akinmade questioned why Daniel failed to appear before the Ward 4 disciplinary panel if he believed he was innocent: “He is only playing to the gallery. The former governor should be ignored,” he said.

On the stop-work order issue, Akinmade said the state government welcomes constituency projects but insists that proper procedures and approvals must be obtained, as done by other federal lawmakers from the state.

Akinmade also returned the charge of intolerance to Daniel, recalling alleged clashes the former governor had with lawmakers during his own tenure.

Meanwhile, despite the NWC’s letter, APC Ward 4 in Sagamu insisted that Daniel’s suspension stands, arguing that the national body lacks the power to overturn disciplinary actions initiated at the ward level in line with the party constitution. Ward secretary, Aduroja Oluwole, said Daniel was suspended for refusing to appear before a panel constituted to investigate the allegations against him.

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