By Kolawole Olayinka, Abeokuta
The Office of former Ogun State Governor and Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Senator Gbenga Daniel, has strongly rejected claims allegedly made by Governor Dapo Abiodun regarding his role in Daniel’s political rise in both 2003 and 2023.
In a statement issued on April 29, 2026, the OGD Media Office described the governor’s remarks, reportedly made during a private meeting in Iperu, as “fiction” and an attempt to “rewrite history.”
The media office said it was compelled to respond following repeated requests from members of the public and political stakeholders over the comments allegedly credited to Governor Abiodun.
According to the statement, Governor Abiodun claimed he collapsed his political structure to support Daniel’s emergence as Ogun State governor in 2003 and also played a decisive role in his election as senator for Ogun East in 2023.
Reacting to the claims, the OGD Media Office said records from the 2003 Peoples Democratic Party governorship primaries showed that Daniel overwhelmingly defeated Abiodun and other aspirants by 127 votes to 12 in a contest described as free and fair.
The statement further alleged that Abiodun ran one of the “most vicious” campaigns against Daniel during the primary contest but was later accommodated after Daniel adopted a “No Victor, No Vanquished” approach by reconciling with all former aspirants.
It added that despite the political differences, Daniel appointed Abiodun as pioneer Chairman of the Gateway Oil and Gas Committee during his administration.
The media office also dismissed claims of Abiodun’s political structure, recalling that the governor allegedly lost “woefully” to late politician Buruji Kashamu in the 2015 Ogun East Senatorial election.
The statement, however, acknowledged that Daniel supported Abiodun’s governorship ambition in 2019 despite belonging to the PDP at the time. It noted that Daniel publicly endorsed Abiodun and mobilised his political network in support of his candidacy during the crisis that rocked the APC in Ogun State.
On the 2023 Ogun East Senatorial election, the OGD Media Office insisted that Daniel won based on his political legacy, popularity and widespread support across the district.
“The suggestion that his emergence as senator was a product of Governor Abiodun’s backstage choreography is not only false, it is an insult to every voter in Ogun East Senatorial District,” the statement read.
The office further argued that Daniel personally campaigned across all 103 wards and held rallies in the nine local government areas of Ogun East without visible support from Governor Abiodun.
It also alleged that government officials were instructed to avoid Daniel’s senatorial campaign flag-off in Sagamu in October 2022 despite being invited.
Questioning the governor’s repeated references to political “structure,” the statement asked what structure was supposedly handed over to Daniel, noting that the APC allegedly failed to secure victories in some areas during subsequent elections despite the advantages of incumbency.
The media office maintained that Daniel’s senatorial victory was historic and uncontested at the election tribunal, describing it as a clear mandate freely given by the people.
The statement also accused Governor Abiodun of allegedly using state machinery over the past three years to intimidate party leaders and frustrate Daniel politically, efforts it claimed ultimately failed because of Daniel’s enduring grassroots influence.
Concluding the statement, the OGD Media Office advised the governor to focus on governance and addressing public concerns rather than attributing criticism to political opponents.
“If there is anyone who needs to search his conscience, Governor Dapo Abiodun need only look in the mirror,” the statement concluded.
