Gbenga Daniel says he will defeat…

Senator Gbenga Daniel has said he will defeat Governor Dapo Abiodun by a wide margin if the APC holds free and fair primaries for the Ogun East senatorial seat before 2027.

Speaking at an empowerment program organized by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-Otunba Gbenga Daniel movement in Ijebu-Ode on Tuesday, the former Ogun governor said he remains the popular choice in the district.

“Without a doubt, in a free and fair primary, I will not only win, but I will win in a landslide,” Daniel said. “Go into town and check with the people. Ask them questions about who is there.”

He claimed that some party forces were planning to intimidate members to suppress voter turnout.

“What the governor and others are depending on is that they will use violence and scare people from coming to vote. And that’s why I tell our people that they should not be discouraged; they should go out and vote,” he said.

The contest intensified after an APC stakeholders meeting in Ogun East reportedly endorsed Abiodun as the consensus candidate. Former senator Lekan Mustapha said leaders adopted Abiodun because of his ability to represent the district effectively. Daniel was reportedly barred from the event location.

Daniel’s camp refused approval. BATOGD Movement Deputy Director General Tayo Onayemi said the electoral law and APC constitution only recognize consensus supported by a written agreement of all aspirants or direct primaries. “There is no such thing as approval in the election law…anything short of that is null and void,” he said.

Both Daniel and Abiodun obtained and submitted nomination forms to the APC and appeared in the primaries.

At Tuesday’s event, Daniel also accused the state government of frustrating development projects he had facilitated in Ogun East and criticized its management of healthcare and infrastructure. He pointed to the program’s turnout as evidence of his grassroots support.

“The notice of this meeting was issued two days ago. People are standing here and trying to stop it again,” he said.

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