The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications to Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, Mr Dare Odufowokan, on Saturday, declared that the governor would defeat former governor and Senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel, in the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary ahead of the 2027 elections.
Odufowokan stated this during an interview on Television Continental while reacting to Daniel’s opposition to the endorsement of Governor Abiodun for the Ogun East APC senatorial ticket.
He also dismissed Daniel’s claim that he emerged victorious during the Ogun East APC senatorial primary election in 2023, insisting that no primary election was held.
According to him, Daniel was at the palace of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, where a consensus arrangement was allegedly being finalised at the period the primary election ought to have taken place.
He said party supporters, journalists and stakeholders reportedly waited till late at night before the Director-General of Senator Lekan Mustapha’s campaign organisation, Dr Ipaye, informed them that a consensus arrangement had been reached in favour of Daniel.
“The alleged primary referred to by Senator Gbenga Daniel never held. If a primary had not held by 5pm, why is somebody claiming to have won five local governments? Senator Daniel never surfaced at the venue until a deal was reached very late in the night at the palace of the late Awujale,” Odufowokan said.
He added that Senator Mustapha eventually agreed not to return to the Senate following the consensus arrangement.
Odufowokan further alleged that when Daniel eventually appeared, he persuaded Ipaye to publicly raise his hands to convince disappointed supporters of Mustapha that the arrangement was genuine.
Speaking on allegations that Daniel was prevented from attending a recent APC stakeholders’ meeting in Ijebu Ode, Odufowokan denied the claim, saying no one stopped the former governor from entering the venue.
According to him, the disagreement began when Daniel allegedly arrived with a busload of supporters and insisted on driving into the meeting venue with them.
He explained that he personally approached the senator alongside the chairman of Odogbolu Local Government and advised him to proceed into the venue with only a smaller vehicle conveying himself and his security aides, but Daniel allegedly refused.
“He decided he was not going to participate in the meeting. Senator Daniel only came on TV to play to the gallery,” he added.
The governor’s aide expressed confidence that Abiodun would emerge victorious at the APC primary because of what he described as legacy projects executed across Ogun East Senatorial District.
“Governor Abiodun will win the Ogun State primary because he has given Ogun East legacy projects we can never forget. He has given us roads, an airport, health projects, among others,” he said.
Odufowokan also dismissed Daniel’s claim that he facilitated the establishment of a naval dockyard in Ogun State, insisting that the project was conceived and executed by the Abiodun administration after consultations with naval authorities.
“All documents relating to the project have the imprint of Governor Dapo Abiodun,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the National Vice Chairman (South-West) of the Labour Party and former chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in Ogun State, Dr Abayomi Arabambi, also backed Odufowokan’s position.
Arabambi maintained that Senator Lekan Mustapha stepped down for Daniel through a consensus arrangement brokered at the palace of the Awujale.
He further stated that opposition parties currently enjoy more political freedom under Abiodun’s administration than during Daniel’s tenure as governor.
“This is the first time we are having clean opposition in Ogun State. During Daniel’s time, you couldn’t query him or challenge him the way he is now challenging Governor Abiodun. Some of us have cases against Governor Abiodun, but the kind of freedom we enjoy now did not happen under Governor Daniel,” Arabambi said.
