JamzNG Latest News, Gist, Entertainment in Nigeria
The Chairman of the Center for Convention on Democratic Integrity (CCDI), Olufemi Aduwo, has described attempts to portray recent developments within the Ogun State chapter of the APC as evidence of exclusion or persecution as unconvincing and misleading.
According to Aduwo, such statements reflect a selective reading of events and a disregard for the operational realities of the party organisation. He noted that the controversy surrounding Senator Gbenga Daniel and the APC caucus meeting in Ijebu-Ode has been overstated, stressing that what happened was the routine application of accreditation procedures, not any form of political conspiracy.
“No serious political organization operates without rules governing access to its internal meetings. Accreditation is essential for institutional order, security and credibility. To present adherence to such procedures as victimization is to fundamentally misunderstand their purpose,” he said.
Aduwo further noted that the APC in Ogun State, like any major political party, welcomes internal competition and disagreement, which do not amount to institutional breakdown but are inherent characteristics of democratic politics.
He also referenced the 2023 election cycle, noting that allegations regarding Senator Daniel’s political alignment during the governorship contest have inevitably influenced domestic perceptions, regardless of their merit. Despite this, he argued that the party remained cohesive and was electorally successful.
“It is a fact that Senator Daniel’s senatorial candidacy in 2023 emerged from internal party agreements and political agreements, including the decision of a sitting senator to step aside. This underlines the primacy of collective decision-making over individual right,” Aduwo added.
He emphasized that a caucus meeting is not a platform for personal assertion but a regulated forum governed by rules binding on all members. Reframing the application of procedures such as exclusion, he said, is disingenuous.
Commenting on the leadership within the state, Aduwo said Governor Dapo Abiodun has demonstrated political responsibility by maintaining cohesion amidst internal tensions through a balance of firmness and moderation.
He further suggested that, at this stage, it would be more constructive for Senator Daniel to embrace a thoughtful attitude consistent with ancient statecraft, stressing that figures such as Chief Olusegun Osoba and Senator Ibikunle Amosun have moved into roles where influence is exerted through council rather than through electoral contest.
Aduwo concluded that political parties are sustained by discipline, not sentiment, and cautioned against elevating the application of routine procedures to narratives of persecution.
