Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has been accused of allegedly forcing leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun East Senatorial District to endorse him as the party’s consensus candidate for the 2027 senatorial election. The allegation was made by former Governor and the current Senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, during an interview on a TVC programme.
Daniel’s Allegations
Daniel disclosed that Governor Abiodun coerced party leaders, including the state chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi, to publicly endorse him as the party’s candidate for the upcoming election. He argued that these leaders, who should remain neutral, were forced to abandon their impartiality, thereby jeopardizing the integrity of the primary election process. Daniel emphasized that direct primaries are under the control of the party, but the governor’s influence has compromised the fairness of the process.
“The problem we have is that the people that are supposed to be neutral are already coerced by the governor to begin to do this endorsement since the governor is the leader of the party,” Daniel stated. He further called on the national committee to recuse themselves from the process, noting that they have already shown their bias. Daniel drew a parallel to his own experience in 2011, when he stepped aside from controlling the senatorial process to ensure fairness.
Response from Abiodun’s Aide
Reacting swiftly to the allegations, the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the Governor, Kayode Akinmade, dismissed Daniel’s claims as “the rantings of a drowning politician.” Akinmade accused Daniel of hypocrisy, pointing out that the former governor had greatly benefited from a similar consensus arrangement in 2023, which secured his own senatorial ticket through Abiodun’s backing and intervention. He described it as ironic that Daniel is now criticizing the APC’s consensus decision-making process after benefiting from it.
Akinmade reiterated that the endorsement of Governor Abiodun by party leaders was a collective decision, reflecting the will of the party members in Ogun East Senatorial District. He urged the public to disregard Daniel’s allegations, which he described as baseless and driven by political desperation.
