Politics
Dapo Abiodun, Gbenga Daniel Trade Words Over Witch-Hunt, Intolerance
The political sparring between Governor Dapo Abiodun and former Governor Gbenga Daniel escalated on Sunday as Daniel accused Abiodun of intolerance and orchestrating a witch-hunt, rooted in the governor’s alleged aversion to inclusive governance.
Daniel made the remarks during a visit by his Bola Ahmed Tinubu/Otunba Gbenga Daniel political group to Ijebu Igbo in Ijebu North Local Government Area for the continuation of his Midterm Assessment Tour as Senator representing Ogun East.
According to Daniel, Abiodun operates a “three-man closed government where no one outside the tiny cabal can offer counsel without being ostracised, victimised, and marked for persecution.”
Daniel said, “It is the norm worldwide that after elections, governance is administered for all—for those who voted for you and those who did not. But since 2019 in Ogun State, the opposite is the case. Governance is administered strictly for a select few, while those perceived to be against the government are treated as outcasts. Threat of sack, demolition notices—these are weapons deployed against traditional rulers, community leaders, and even teachers, simply for interacting with those who have dared to offer constructive criticism. This is not governance; it is a cult, run with dictatorial instincts, treating our commonwealth as a personal estate.”
But Abiodun’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, dismissed Daniel’s allegations as baseless and an attempt to deflect the anti-party allegations levelled against him in Ward 4, Sabo, Sagamu.
Akinmade said, “If Senator Daniel knew he was not guilty of the anti-party allegation, why did he not go to defend himself before the investigation panel set up by his ward? Why has he now found it convenient to defend himself in the newspapers? The former governor is playing to the gallery and should be ignored.”
He added that the state government was not opposed to developmental projects but insisted Daniel must follow due process and obtain necessary clearances, noting that other senators, such as Solomon Adeola and Shuaib Salisu, always complied.
Akinmade further argued that Daniel, not Abiodun, should be accused of intolerance, citing how Daniel treated members of the state and national assembly during his tenure as governor.
Daniel said he ran into trouble with Abiodun because he dared to offer counsel where he deemed necessary.
“As a former governor and as your senator, I have a duty to speak truth to power,” he said. “I have tried, on several occasions, to counsel this governor privately on these issues. The reward for my private counsel was public ostracisation and removal from party and government activities. I have, therefore, held my peace, focusing on my work in Abuja. But when that work is sabotaged, silence is no longer an option.”
The former governor claimed that Abiodun was behind his purported suspension by the Ogun APC over alleged anti-party activities, describing it as part of the governor’s unwillingness to accommodate voices outside his inner circle.
“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, our loyalty to the party and the President is unwavering. The problem is not about party discipline; it is about one man’s inability to tolerate inclusive governance.”
Daniel alleged that Abiodun consistently issued stop-work orders on constituency projects he facilitated for the senatorial district, including rehabilitation of the Itanrin and General Hospital roads.
“They erroneously believe the federal contractors are ‘OGD’s contractors’ and, in line with their agenda of removing anything associated with me, the projects must be frustrated. A ‘stop work order’ has been issued by the Local Government Chairman under immense pressure. The government is not asking why these projects are being blocked. If this order remains beyond December 2025, federal funding will be lost,” he warned.
He highlighted other interventions, including motorised boreholes, solar streetlights in Ago-Iwoye and Ijebu-Igbo, sponsoring bills for a Federal Medical Centre in Ijebu Ode, and free eye surgeries for over 4,000 people, noting that such initiatives were being undermined.
Daniel urged traditional rulers and leaders to prevail on the governor to stop issuing halt orders on constituency projects, warning that these actions were shortchanging the people and delaying development.
Daniel reaffirmed that the BATOGD Movement remains committed to the development of Ogun East and President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He expressed gratitude to the APC National Working Committee and President Tinubu for intervening in the party crisis, citing a recent letter by National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru affirming his party membership.
He added that he is ready to defend his innocence before any investigation panel, appealing for the intervention of traditional rulers and well-meaning leaders to resolve the impasse.
It will be recalled that following an inquiry by MJS Law Firm, Basiru stated that the NWC had yet to deliberate on Daniel’s suspension, confirming him as a bona fide member of the party.
The APC in Ward 4, Sabo, Sagamu, however, insisted the suspension remained in force, arguing that the NWC lacked authority to override disciplinary actions at ward, local government, state, or zonal levels, citing Daniel’s alleged refusal to honour invitations to defend himself.
The Federal High Court sitting in Gusau, the Zamfara State Capital, has adjourned the hearing of the suit filed to challenge the results of the senatorial primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Zamfara North senatorial district to June 25, 2026.
Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, an aggrieved aspirant in the election, challenged the outcome of the primary election, citing irregularities. He had mentioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC and Sahabi Ya’u Kaura, the party’s senatorial candidate for Zamfara North.
The Tribune reported that when the matter was called for hearing on Tuesday, June 9, the court could not continue with the proceedings over the absence of INEC and the APC, who are the defendants in the suit.
Justice Hassan Dikko of the trial court then adjourned the suit to June 25 for further hearing. Shinkafi is challenging the process and outcome of the ruling party’s national assembly primary election, where Senator Kaura had emerged as the APC candidate for the Zamfara North senatorial district.
Barrister Bello Galadi, the lawyer to the plaintiff, who addressed journalists after the hearing, said Shinkafi was seeking the intervention of the court over what he tagged as a flawed primary election process.
Veteran journalist and publisher of Ovation International, Chief Dele Momodu, has disclosed that former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, once turned down his suggestion to work closely with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 political battle because he believed he had a stronger political following.
Momodu made the revelation while speaking during an interview on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast, where he reflected on his relationship with both politicians and the discussions he had with Obi after the 2023 general election.
According to him, he encouraged the former Anambra State governor to rebuild his political alliance with Atiku, arguing that the ex-Vice President played a major role in bringing Obi to the national stage when he selected him as his running mate in the 2019 presidential election.
“I told Peter why don’t you go and work with Atiku. Atiku was the person who brought him to national prominence,” Momodu said.
The media entrepreneur recalled that Atiku’s decision to settle for Obi as his running mate was not welcomed by some influential figures within the Peoples Democratic Party at the time.
“When Atiku picked Peter, the governors were angry but one thing about Atiku is that once he makes up his mind, he’s a very focused man,” he added.
Momodu explained that he tried to convince Obi by pointing to examples of leaders in different countries who eventually rose to the highest political office after serving as deputies.
“So, I told Peter, I said sir, Your Excellency, try and work with this man (Atiku), then I gave him copious examples. I said if Mahama was not a VP to Prof Atta Mills, maybe he would never be President of Ghana because he came from a minority just like Jonathan in Nigeria,” he said.
“I gave the example of Jonathan, I gave the example in America. Even Joe Biden, who was much older than Obama, still came back to become president because you’re able to demonstrate your capacity.”
Despite the advice, Momodu said Obi was not convinced that such a political arrangement would benefit him.
“You’ve always been a governor of a state but Peter told me he’s more popular than Atiku,” Momodu stated.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has updated its official political party portal, removing Ahmed Yayari and Daniel Woyengikuro from their respective positions as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Treasurer and National Financial Secretary.
The electoral body replaced them with Odeyemi Mackson Oladiran as the new National Treasurer and Eyim Donatus Henry as the new National Financial Secretary.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the development comes amid an ongoing internal power struggle within the main opposition party.
The ousted officials, Ahmed and Daniel, belong to the Turaki faction backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde. Conversely, the newly listed executives, Odeyemi and Eyim, are loyalists of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, whose camp is recognized by the commission.
The portal before change
Prior to this update, the commission had already recognized the FCT Minister’s camp by listing Abdulrahman Mohammed as the PDP National Chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary.
However, keeping the names of Ahmed Yayari and Daniel on the roster had initially caused confusion. With this latest portal revision, the entirety of the PDP leadership listed on the electoral umpire’s website reflects the camp loyal to Wike.
The party has been embroiled in a leadership contest between the camp under FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and a rival group led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, who emerged from a late 2025 party convention.
In the convention in Ibadan where Turaki was elected National Chairman, steps were taken to suspend Wike along with several associates.
The portal showing the recent changes
However, the pro-Wike camp dismissed the convention and established an alternative 13-member Caretaker Committee under the leadership of Abdulrahman Mohammed.
This led to court cases with conflicting judicial outcomes.
An Oyo State High Court originally validated the Ibadan convention and the Turaki-led National Working Committee, directing the electoral body to acknowledge them.
This decision was later overturned by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which nullified the Ibadan convention and set aside Turaki’s election.
Source: Politics Nigeria
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