Demolition Notices: Gbenga Daniel, Abiodun In Temporary Truce Ahead Of Remo By-Election?

A political solution appeared to have been reached in the lingering face-off between Senator Gbenga Daniel and Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Daniel confirmed he would return to Nigeria to help galvanise the All Progressives Congress (APC) to victory in the August 16 by-election to fill the vacant Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency seat in Ogun State.

The senator representing Ogun East made this known after a meeting with Senate President Godswill Akpabio in London.

Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency falls within Ogun East Senatorial District.

Daniel’s announcement came less than 48 hours after his media aide, Steve Oliyide, alleged that the Ogun State Government had served contravention, quit, and demolition notices on three of his principal properties — Asoludero Court, Conference Hotels, and its annex — all in Sagamu, part of the Remo Federal Constituency. Oliyide described the move as political persecution.

The state government denied this, saying the notices were part of a routine development audit in Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode Government Reserved Areas (GRAs) under its urban renewal programme.

While officials insist the exercise is purely administrative, political discussions suggest the timing is tied to undercurrents in the build-up to the by-election. Before the demolition row, Daniel’s role in the APC’s campaign was unclear.

Despite being a formidable party chieftain, he was not named in the campaign council for the poll, and his loyalists were also absent from the list, which was dominated by staunch Abiodun allies — including figures from outside the senatorial zone.

The exclusion fed into a rivalry between the two men that dates back to around 2020 and has been heightened by speculation over control of the Ogun East Senatorial District in the next political cycle.

For Abiodun, the August 16 by-election carries significant weight. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is fielding a strong challenge, led by its chief sponsor Ladi Adebutu — a fellow Remo politician and Abiodun’s long-time rival, who has lost to him in both direct and indirect contests since 2019. Adebutu is said to be working vigorously to secure the seat for his party.

“That’s why many were surprised the Abiodun-controlled APC structure sidelined Daniel, who commands a stronger grassroots following in the constituency,” a political source noted. “The demolition notices were quickly read as part of a wider power play.”

For now, the public thaw between Daniel and Abiodun appears to favour the APC. But insiders say the true test of this truce will come when voters in the Remo constituency deliver their verdict on August 16.