Outrage has erupted in Sagamu after Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, allegedly ordered the suspension of an ongoing federal road project facilitated by former governor and serving senator, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
The project — the Paddy-Arikawe Oye Igbimo Road reconstruction — was approved by President Bola Tinubu through the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) and awarded to Minim and Tonye Nigeria Limited. Work had commenced before the intervention of the state government.
This latest clash between Abiodun and Daniel has been attributed to the political hostility between the duo over 2027 Senatorial ticket if Ogun East .
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that while Daniel is seeking a second term at the national Assembly, Abiodun was reported to be eyeing the seat after his tenure expires in 2027 as governor of the state under the same All Progressives Congress.
In a letter dated September 17, 2025, and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ogun State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Dr. Yusuf L.O., the contractor was directed to halt operations on the grounds that the required state clearance had not been secured.
“This action negates the normal due process which ought to be followed before commencing work on a state government road,” the letter read in part. The state government further claimed the project was among those it had already earmarked for reconstruction in Sagamu.
PLATFORM TIMES reports that the stoppage has sparked anger across Sagamu, where residents accused the Abiodun administration of playing politics with badly needed infrastructure.
One resident lamented “there are thousands of roads in Ogun State begging for repair. Instead of welcoming federal intervention, the governor is stopping it. This is pure insensitivity. He has no empathy for the suffering people.”
Another source close to the project argued that the road was not Daniel’s personal initiative but a federally approved intervention meant to ease decades of neglect.
“The BCDA mobilised to site on Wednesday and was stopped almost immediately. This project was approved by President Tinubu. Why should a governor frustrate it?” the source said.
While no official statement has tied the suspension to political rivalry, residents argue the action “reeks of political undertones,” especially since previous projects facilitated by Daniel, including the Aiyepe Road, allegedly suffered similar pushbacks from the state government.
The issue has further deepened frustration among Sagamu residents, who say successive administrations have abandoned critical roads in the area since Daniel left office in 2011.
A local trader said “this is not just about Paddy-Arikawe Road. Look around Sagamu GRA; we have been forgotten. Anytime Senator Daniel brings something, this governor blocks it. We are tired.”
Political analysts warn that the backlash from Sagamu and other parts of Ogun East may haunt Abiodun and his allies as the 2027 elections approach. With bad roads already a major campaign issue in the state, the suspension of a federal intervention is seen as a misstep that could cost the governor significant goodwill.
For now, residents insist that what matters most is development, not political rivalry.
“We don’t care who fixes the road,” a Sagamu youth leader said. “All we want is progress. If Abiodun continues this way, Sagamu will answer him in 2027.”
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