The media office of former Ogun State governor and senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel, has launched a scathing attack on Governor Dapo Abiodun, accusing him of distorting political history and avoiding open democratic contest despite the advantages of incumbency.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday, the OGD Media Office challenged Abiodun to subject his political strength to a transparent test, asking why he is seemingly afraid of open contest despite incumbency advantage and access to state resources.
The statement was in response to remarks allegedly made by the governor at a private meeting in Iperu, where he claimed credit for Daniel’s emergence as Ogun State governor in 2003 and as senator in 2023.
Dismissing the claims as fiction, the media office said Abiodun had chosen a closed-door setting to make assertions he has never dared to present publicly.
On the 2003 governorship race, the statement acknowledged that Abiodun contested the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries but insisted that Daniel won decisively, polling 127 votes against Abiodun’s 12 in what it described as a free and fair process.
It further alleged that Abiodun ran one of the most aggressive campaigns against Daniel at the time and only aligned with him after the primaries.
It added that the former governor subsequently ran an inclusive administration and even appointed Abiodun into a key role in the state’s oil and gas initiative.
The media office also took a swipe at Abiodun’s electoral record, recalling his defeat in the 2015 Ogun East senatorial election and questioning the strength of the political structure he now claims to have deployed in support of others.
On the 2023 senatorial election, the statement maintained that Daniel’s victory was driven by his personal political capital, legacy, and grassroots support, rather than any alleged intervention by the governor.
“The suggestion that his emergence was a product of backstage choreography is not only false, it is an insult to the electorate,” the statement said.
It added that by the time any purported intervention by Abiodun occurred, the primary process had effectively been concluded.
The media office further claimed that the governor did not actively support Daniel’s campaign, alleging that he neither attended campaign rallies nor key political events, despite being invited.
It also alleged that government officials were discouraged from participating in Daniel’s campaign activities, raising questions about the sincerity of the governor’s claimed support.
Highlighting the scale of Daniel’s victory, the statement described the 2023 senatorial mandate as “historic” and “unambiguous,” noting that it was one of the few elections in the state that went unchallenged at the tribunal.
The statement also accused Abiodun of relying on backroom deals, forced consensus, and closed-door manoeuvring to advance his political interests, rather than open competition.
“A man truly confident in his structure does not need such tactics,” it added.
The former governor’s camp further alleged that state machinery had been used over the past three years to sideline Daniel within the party, efforts it said ultimately failed due to his entrenched political base beyond temporary office of a sitting governor.
The statement urged the governor to address governance issues rather than deflect criticism, warning that public scrutiny should not be dismissed as political attacks.
“If there is anyone who needs to search his conscience, the governor need only look in the mirror,” it concluded.
By Adewale Adewale
