Ogun State Flags Ex-Gov Gbenga Daniel’s Buildings for Demolition
Is it a calculated move or just the law taking over? Ogun State politics just got dramatic as Governor Dapo Abiodun and former governor, now senator, Gbenga Daniel lock horns over demolition notices served on the ex-governor’s properties in Sagamu. Both camps insist they are acting in the public interest, but their versions of events could not be more different.
Daniel, who represents Ogun East in the Senate, says agents of the Ogun State government pasted “Notices of Contravention, Quit, and Threat of Demolition” on three of his properties in Sagamu’s Government Reservation Area around 4 p.m. on Friday, August 8. The buildings include his private residence, Asoludero Court, built in 2004; Conference Hotel Sagamu, completed in 2013; and a hotel annex erected in 2015.
The notices, according to Daniel, accuse him of constructing the buildings without permits and failing to maintain adequate setbacks, among other alleged breaches of the 2022 Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law.
Daniel rejects the allegations, calling them laughable. He argues that the law came into effect years after the properties were completed. He says the simultaneous issuance of contravention and quit notices, coupled with a demolition threat, violates due process under Ogun State’s planning regulations.
“This is political persecution,” Daniel said in a statement signed by his media aide, Steve Oliyide. “The governor is hiding behind a newly enacted law to target a political opponent. This is a shameful abuse of power.”
Daniel also links the move to a history of clashes with Abiodun. He cites the midnight demolition of DATKEM Plaza in Ijebu Ode, a property owned by his wife, in September 2023. That case, he says, is still in court, with the state allegedly losing several appeals. He believes the latest notices form part of a pattern of intimidation.
“This is not just about buildings,” he said. “It’s about political vindictiveness taken to a dangerous level.”
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has voiced the opposition’s opinion on the matter. The party says the demolition threat is rooted in the 2027 political calendar, alleging that both Abiodun and Daniel are eyeing the Ogun East senatorial seat. The PDP describes the development as an intra-party fight within the ruling APC and a misuse of state power.
But the Abiodun administration tells a different story. The governor’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, insists the government’s actions have nothing to do with politics. He says Sagamu GRA is undergoing an urban renewal audit, part of a state-wide project that began in Abeokuta’s Ibara GRA and is being extended to Ijebu Ode and Sagamu.
According to Akinmade, the exercise checks the permit status of all buildings, including houses, schools, and commercial properties. Daniel’s buildings, he says, are just among many served notices in line with town planning laws.
“This is a statutory process that even operated during Daniel’s tenure as governor,” Akinmade said. “No one is above the law. All he needs to do is present his planning permit and land title for verification.”
Akinmade accuses Daniel of rushing to the media to “demonise” the governor, turning routine enforcement into a political battle. He says the government holds the senator in high esteem but will not exempt him from legal requirements.
“It’s unfortunate for someone who once swore to uphold the laws of Ogun State to cry wolf instead of simply complying,” Akinmade said. “If anyone is after Senator Daniel, it is certainly not Governor Abiodun.”
The Ogun State government also dismissed PDP’s allegations as meddling in state affairs. Akinmade urged the opposition to focus on its internal issues and stop trying to shield individuals from legal scrutiny because of their political past.
As of now, both men remain solid in their positions. Daniel insists he will resist what he calls an unlawful and politically motivated attack, while Abiodun’s camp says it is simply enforcing the law to ensure orderly development.
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