Political tensions in Ogun State have escalated as Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration has issued quit and demolition notices on multiple properties linked to former Governor and serving Senator, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, sparking accusations of political persecution ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
On Friday, August 8, government agents reportedly served “Notices of Contravention” and “Quit Notices” on Daniel’s sprawling Asoludero Court in Sagamu, the Conference Hotel Limited, Sagamu, and the hotel’s annex — all properties belonging to the former governor.
According to a statement from the OGD Media Office, signed by Steve Oliyide, the move represents “a malicious and vindictive abuse of power” aimed at silencing a political rival.
The statement accused the Abiodun administration of retroactively applying the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law No. 61 of 2022 to buildings constructed years before the law existed.
“The Asoludero Court was built in 2004, the Conference Hotel in 2013, and the annex in 2015. To now claim they lack permits is laughable,” the statement read.
“This is political persecution dressed up as urban renewal.”
The Daniel camp also linked the latest notices to the controversial September 2023 demolition of DATKEM Plaza in Ijebu Ode — a property owned by Daniel’s wife — which is still the subject of ongoing litigation.
They alleged that the current notices breach due process, issuing contravention, quit, and demolition threats simultaneously without the legally required intervals.
However, the Ogun State Government has dismissed the allegations as false, describing Daniel’s claims as “blatant distortions of facts.”
In a counter-statement on Saturday, the government said the notices were part of a statewide urban renewal and development audit covering Ijebu-Ode and Sagamu Government Reservation Areas (GRAs), and not targeted at Daniel alone.
“Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s property happens to be within the Sagamu GRA and is among several structures served notices as part of a routine audit,” the statement read.
“This process existed even during his tenure as governor.”
The government explained that the audit aims to verify the permit status of existing developments in the GRAs, adding that many other properties, including commercial buildings, schools, and hospitals, were similarly affected.
Political watchers, however, say the development is set to heighten political rivalries between the two camps as the 2027 elections draw closer.
Daniel, a former two-term governor, is a key political figure in Ogun East and a perceived power broker in the state’s succession politics.
As of press time, it was unclear whether demolition would proceed on Monday as indicated in the notices, but Daniel’s camp has vowed to challenge the action through legal channels.
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