Abiodun & Daniel 

A former governor of Ogun State and Senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel, on Saturday accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of allegedly masterminding moves to intimidate him through threats to demolish some of his properties in Sagamu.

Daniel claimed the governor ordered the demolition of his Sagamu private residence, The Asoludero Court, Conference Hotels Limited, as well as the hotel annexe, through notices of contravention, quit, and threat of demolition within the next three days, pasted on the properties on Friday, August 8 at about 4pm.

Describing the move as “nothing but a clear political persecution,” Daniel said, “The documents, concerning these properties cite ‘suspected’ offences related to construction without adequate permits (which is laughable). This is a ludicrous and flimsy excuse, as the properties in question have been in existence for many years.”

He noted that the Asoludero Court was built in 2004, Conference Hotel in 2013, and the annex in 2015, long before the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law No. 61 of 2022 came into effect.

“The governor’s administration is now attempting to use [this law] to demolish buildings that were legally constructed long before the law was even in existence,” Daniel alleged.

“This action is not only politically motivated but also a blatant disregard for due process and the rule of law. The notices in themselves are clear breaches of procedures which allows adequate time intervals between. Notifications on contraventions, quits and the penalties, if indeed there was any, is not a demolition or a threat of it.”

“Governor Abiodun’s administration has completely bypassed this procedure, issuing a ‘Notice of Contravention’ and a ‘Notice to Quit’ simultaneously, with an immediate threat of demolition. This is not a legal process; it is a thuggish tactic designed to intimidate and inflict damage.”

Daniel also linked the development to the September 2023 “illegal demolition” of DATKEM Plaza in Ijebu Ode, belonging to his wife, Yeye Olufunke Daniel, allegedly carried out “in the midnight… by thugs believed to be working on the orders of the governor” under “equally flimsy excuses.”

“The matter is currently in court, and the state has already lost several applications… a clear indication that their actions lack legal merit,” Daniel said.

He called on “all well-meaning citizens, human rights organisations, and legal bodies” to condemn what he described as “this egregious abuse of power,” adding, “We will not be silent in the face of this injustice and will use all legal means at our disposal to ensure that Governor Abiodun is held accountable for his lawless actions.”

However, PUNCH quoted the governor’s special adviser on media, Kayode Akinmade, as denying any political motive, insisting that “the government wasn’t after the Senator” but was only verifying building documentation.

“Most of them have violated building plans and the letter was not sent to him alone and that is not true. And if your papers are genuine, why is he panicking? Nobody is after anybody, the government is only taking stock of buildings with similar violations and that is all. Although, we are working on a comprehensive statement that we would also send to you when it is ready,” Akinmade stated.

In September 2023, SaharaReporters reported that the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, lambasted former Governor Gbenga Daniel and his wife, Olufunke, over the demolition of the DATKEM plaza in Ijebu-Ode, saying the couple is not above the law.

The governor had said he expected the serving senator to “show a level of more responsibility” adding that if he, the governor, had a building that violates the building code, the government would “bring it down.”

The statement came as officials of the government “partially pulled down” the five-storey building plaza belonging to Olufunke Daniel, the wife of former governor popularly known as OGD.

The government said it carried out the operation because the structure is “illegal without an approved plan.”

But Mrs Daniel tackled Abiodun over the demolition, describing the act as executive recklessness, lawlessness and irresponsibility.

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