… Say Crisis Linked To 2027 Senatorial Ticket
… Allege Marginalisation, Victimisation Of Ex-Gov Loyalists
Aishah Waliyullah
Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun East Senatorial District have described as “false, mischievous, and politically motivated” the purported suspension of the Senator representing the district, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, from the party.
The leaders, who jointly signed a statement read at a world press conference held at Asoludero quarters, in Sagamu on Wednesday, said there was no official communication from the state or national leadership of the APC to that effect, adding that the alleged suspension was a “social media joke” orchestrated by political actors loyal to Governor Dapo Abiodun.
The statement, signed by 11 prominent party figures including Gen. Olumuyiwa Okunowo (Rtd.), Comrade Niyi Osoba, Otunba Korede Okusanya, and Princess Ronke Oduneye, insisted that the purported suspension “exists only on Facebook and in the imagination of those threatened by OGD’s political influence.”
According to the leaders, the controversy began in August 2025 when an individual who “suddenly announced himself” as the party’s state Director of Publicity posted on Facebook that the APC State Executive Committee had ratified Daniel’s suspension for alleged anti-party activities.
They questioned the credibility of the announcement, describing it as “a mockery of party discipline and process.”
“Here we are talking about a former governor of the state and a serving senator of the Federal Republic. There was no petition, no invitation, no investigative panel, and no suspension letter. Not a single journalist sighted any official communication,” the statement read.
They further faulted the recent intervention of the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Lekan Adeniran, who circulated an unsigned press release purportedly reaffirming Daniel’s suspension, describing the action as “unethical and a gross abuse of office.”
“It is strange that the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor now speaks for the APC in Ogun State when we have a duly elected State Chairman and Secretary. This confirms that the entire drama is politically motivated and connected to the 2027 elections,” the statement added.
The Ogun East APC stakeholders said the growing animosity within the party was traceable to fears over the 2027 senatorial ticket.
They accused the governor of sidelining Daniel and other major stakeholders in party activities since the 2023 general elections.
They recalled that Daniel, who governed Ogun State between 2003 and 2011, played a key role in the emergence of Governor Abiodun in 2019 at the instance of then APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
“Without OGD’s mobilization across Ogun East, the APC could have lost the 2019 election. It is on record that Prince Dapo Abiodun won by just 19,000 votes, the lowest margin in the state’s history,” the group said.
They noted that while Daniel won the 2023 senatorial election with 115,147 votes — the highest in Ogun East history — the governor lost in seven of nine local governments in the same district, including his home council of Ikenne.
“Instead of uniting the party, the governor has turned his machinery against members perceived to be loyal to OGD. Public servants were queried for attending OGD’s campaign flag-off, and loyalists were shut out of the party’s Remo bye-election committee,” they alleged.
The group also cited the September 2023 demolition of Datkem Plaza, owned by Daniel’s wife, Yeye Olufunke Daniel, as further evidence of persecution.
“That five-storey property was destroyed barely two weeks to its commissioning. Weeks later, demolition notices appeared on other OGD properties. Yet, he has maintained silence and sought redress through the courts,” they stated.
The leaders warned that the APC in Ogun was sliding into disarray, accusing the governor’s camp of monopolising the party structure from ward to state level.
“At present, the governor’s camp controls every party office. This is unhealthy for internal democracy. For the APC to survive and win future elections, power must be redistributed and all stakeholders must have a sense of belonging,” the statement said.
They urged the national leadership of the APC to wade into the crisis and “rescue the party from internal implosion.”
“The earlier we fix this tear in the party before it becomes a rent, the better for us all. Our party is dear to us, and we must do everything humanly possible to save and salvage it,” the leaders declared.
The statement was jointly signed by Gen. Olumuyiwa Okunowo (Rtd.), Comrade Niyi Osoba (PhD), Otunba (Dr.) Korede Okusanya, Princess Ronke Oduneye, Aremo Barr. Babatunde Adesanya, Mrs. Josephine Makanjuola, Dr. Bankole Osisanya, Hon. Wole Olubena, Arc. Abiodun Adesanya, Mr. Dele Osifade, and Alhaja Ganiyat Busari.
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