Daniel’s Camp Reveals Inside Story Of Alleged Suspension, Rift With Abiodun

The camp of former Ogun State Governor and serving Senator, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has dismissed as a “joke taken too far” the reports of his alleged suspension from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, describing the move as politically motivated and orchestrated by loyalists of Governor Dapo Abiodun ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday at Asoludero Court, Daniel’s Sagamu residence, loyal party leaders from Ogun East Senatorial District accused government officials of plotting to discredit the former governor due to his growing influence in the zone. They claimed the purported suspension was first circulated through a Facebook post in August 2025 by an individual who introduced himself as the state’s Director of Publicity — an appointment unknown to many members of the party at the time.

According to them, the claim that the APC State Executive Committee ratified Daniel’s suspension, following a recommendation from Ward 4 executives in Sagamu, lacked any procedural or ethical basis. They questioned why such a major disciplinary decision would be announced on social media without official communication, written charges, or an invitation for defence.

Daniel’s supporters argued that the absence of the state chairman and secretary in the alleged process showed that the announcement was an act of political mischief. “There was no letter of suspension, no evidence of any investigative panel, and no document sighted by credible journalists,” they said, describing the incident as an online fabrication amplified by unverified media reports.

They also faulted the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Lekan Adeniran, for allegedly circulating an unsigned statement in November reaffirming the supposed suspension. The group asked whether it was appropriate for a state appointee to speak on behalf of the APC when elected party officials were in place.

Daniel’s camp linked the controversy to the struggle for control of the Ogun East Senatorial ticket ahead of 2027. They recalled that Daniel’s entry into the APC in 2021 followed a high-profile visit by several governors, including Dapo Abiodun, to his Sagamu residence, where he formally joined the ruling party after years in the PDP.

They maintained that since 2019, Daniel had been instrumental in stabilising the APC in Ogun East, mobilising support for Abiodun’s first election victory after rallying his base to vote for the APC at the directive of President Bola Tinubu. They said despite Daniel’s open endorsement, Abiodun’s 2019 win came with the narrowest margin in the state’s history — just 19,000 votes — and was largely determined by the massive turnout from Ogun East.

The group claimed that Daniel’s grassroots re-engagement ahead of the 2023 elections through ward tours, empowerment programmes, and scholarships helped restore public interest in the APC after disillusionment with the state government’s performance. However, they said the governor repaid those efforts with hostility, refusing to attend Daniel’s campaign flag-off and reportedly warning officials against participating.

They noted that despite the governor’s absence, Daniel’s senatorial campaign delivered a record 115,147 votes, the highest for a senatorial candidate in the state’s history, while Abiodun’s re-election tally dropped to 86,000 votes — losing seven of the nine local governments in Ogun East, including his own ward and local government area in Iperu.

Daniel’s loyalists said the governor has since targeted perceived supporters of the former governor, sidelining them from party structures and appointments. They cited the exclusion of Daniel’s allies from the Remo Federal Constituency bye-election committee in July and alleged that even after Daniel’s personal and financial support for the party’s candidate, his contributions went unacknowledged.

The group also pointed to the demolition of DATKEM Plaza, a property belonging to Daniel’s wife, in September 2023 as evidence of persecution. They claimed further that demolition notices have been issued on other properties linked to Daniel, describing these actions as vindictive and divisive.

Rejecting the purported suspension, Daniel’s camp argued that the process was invalid because he is registered in Isote Ward 12, not Ward 4, where the supposed action originated. They called on the APC National Working Committee to intervene urgently, warning that internal fractures could jeopardize the party’s future electoral prospects in Ogun State.

“The earlier we fix this tear in the party before it becomes a rent, the better for us all,” they said. “Our party is dear to us, and we must do everything humanly possible to save and salvage it.”