The Ogun State Government has strongly denied allegations of political persecution leveled by Senator Gbenga Daniel, former governor and current Senator representing Ogun East, who claimed that Governor Dapo Abiodun targeted his properties with demolition notices.
In a statement issued by Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, the government described Daniel’s accusations as a “barefaced lie” and a “blatant distortion of facts” intended to “cause disaffection and foment chaos in the state.”
On Saturday, August 9, Daniel’s media office released a press statement titled Political Persecution as Governor Abiodun Issues Quit, Demolition Notices on Daniel’s Properties in Ogun State, alleging that notices of contravention, quit, and demolition threats were posted on his Asoludero Court residence, Conference Hotels Limited, and its annex in Sagamu.
The statement framed these actions as a “malicious and vindictive abuse of power, hiding behind a newly-enacted law retroactively to target a political opponent.”
The Ogun State Government countered that the notices were part of a routine urban renewal initiative, not a targeted attack.
“The fact of the matter, quite simply, is that in his holistic approach to development efforts across the length and breadth of Ogun State, His Excellency, Governor Dapo Abiodun, has embarked on the redevelopment of Ogun State’s towns and cities through urban renewal,” the statement read.
This initiative, starting in Ibara GRA, Abeokuta, and extending to Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode GRAs, involves auditing developments to verify planning permits and land titles, a process the government insists is standard and was in place even during Daniel’s tenure as governor.
The government clarified that Daniel’s properties in Sagamu GRA were among many served notices under the Town Planning Law and Regulation of Ogun State.
“Many other structures were also similarly served,” Akinmade noted, emphasizing that the exercise is ongoing and not exclusive to Daniel.
The statement urged the senator to present his planning permit and land title for verification, as required, rather than “resorting to cheap blackmail.”
It further criticized Daniel for ascribing political motives to a routine procedure, questioning, “Did the distinguished senator not conduct a check around the neighbourhood before hastily rushing to the media to demonise Governor Dapo Abiodun and his administration, as usual?”
The government’s statement concluded by affirming that “no one is bigger than the State” and encouraged Daniel to comply with the law, noting, “The distinguished Senator knows the law and has presumably abided by it, so why is he crying foul instead of simply complying with lawful directive, supremely confident in the knowledge that he has done no wrong?”
The Ogun State Government firmly denied any personal motives, stating, “If anyone is after Senator Gbenga Daniel, it is certainly not the Governor of Ogun State.”
