Why Gbenga Daniel Has Refused To Openly Side With Either Amosun Or Abiodun

Former Governor Gbenga Daniel has shied away from openly siding with either Senator Ibikunle Amosun or Governor Dapo Abiodun in the race to determine who becomes the Governor of Ogun State in 2023.

Daniel, 66, is the Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Ogun East while Governor Abiodun is the gubernatorial candidate. Senator Amosun, also a chieftain of the party but not seeking re-election, has adopted Biyi Otegbeye, the gubernatorial flagbearer of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as his preferred next Governor of Ogun State.

Otegbeye is a former APC member in Ogun state and contested the party’s gubernatorial ticket for 2023.

Amosun and Abiodun engulfed with an intense fight for the control of APC that has seen the Governor sideline the Senator and his loyalists after getting the upper hand SocietyNow.Ng gathered.

Daniel has refused to be caught in the crossfire of the raging political fight by “solely focusing on protecting his political interest.” The former Governor’s political interests include becoming the next Senator for Ogun East.

This , however, has pitched him against Abiodun who wanted another person.

Daniel’s ambition is said to have sparked the fire of a yet-to-be-put-off cold war with Abiodun.

The cold war culminated in a boycott of the flag-off campaign for Daniel’s senatorial campaign on Sunday, October 2, 2022, by Abiodun and his loyalists.

Daniel reported shunned a directive – like he has done to any that threatens his stature as an independent political leader – from the Governor through the party that all APC candidates in Ogun State should not flag-off their campaigns until further notice.

Amosun is said to have leveraged the “possible threats” posed to Daniel by the face-off with Abiodun to broker an agreement for them to work together. Amosun’s singular most burning ambition is to stop Abiodun’s re-election by ensuring Otegbeye becomes the next Governor of Ogun State.

SocietyNow.Ng gathered that in exchange for Daniel’s support, among other reported agreements, Amosun has deployed all his men within APC and PDP in support of the former Governor’s senatorial ambition.

More checks revealed that in the face of this development, Abiodun’s men – with a better understanding of the realities of politics- are publicly identifying with Daniel’s ambition here and there and trying to posture the former Governor as “belonging to their camp”.

Further digs by SocietyNow.Ng unearthed the reason Daniel has refused to openly side with either side despite the plenty of claims that abound.

“The Governor has simply stuck with his agelong approach that an experienced political leader does not show his hand until the last minute” SocietyNow.Ng learned.