Photos: Gbenga Daniel, Dapo Abiodun In First Public Handshake Amid Face-Off

Senator Gbenga Daniel and Governor Dapo Abiodun had their first public handshake amid their talk-of-town quarrel over the weekend.

The development transpired at the one-year remembrance of revered finance guru, Otunba Subomi Balogun on Saturday, May 18, 2024.

Daniel and Abiodun met at the reception held after the one-year remembrance service at the Cathedral Church of Our Saviour, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state, and greeted each other with a handshake.

Before this development, the estranged chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had avoided each other in public in a fight that had roots in actions and in actions after Daniel, a former two-term governor of Ogun state helped Abiodun to power for his first term in 2019.

The quarrel spilled into the open over Abiodun’s refusal to support Daniel’s senatorial ambition ahead of the 2023 election and, came to a head when the former governor not only secured the party’s senatorial ticket for Ogun East but won his election with a record-making number of votes – while Abiodun suffered a near loss by pulling a close shave victory over closest rival, Ladi Adebutu with less than fourteen votes.

Abiodun’s men accused Daniel and his team of working against the Governor’s re-election and unleashed a “social media mayhem of accusation” that saw the two sides taking on each other “for a while”.

The demolition of DATKEM Plaza, a high-value property owned by Senator Daniel’s wife, Olufunke by the Ogun state government for contravening physical building laws in the wee hours of Sunday, September 2023 is alleged to be the fallout of the face-off between Daniel and Abiodun.

Daniel and Abiodun continued to avoid public interactions with each other amid the unrelenting quarrel until the handshake

at the one-year remembrance of the founder of FCMB Merchant Bank, Subomi Balogun on Saturday, May 18, 2024.

However, the Senator accords Bamidele, the wife of Governor Abiodun all the courtesies she deserves at events.

Among the dignitaries at the event are Senator Seriake Dickson, notable businessman Razak Okoya, Ogbeni Oja Sonny Kuku, and former Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.

Senator Gbenga Daniel’s handlers shared the featured pictures from the event.