By Our Reporter
A political advocacy group in Ogun State, Sustainability of Ogun State & Dapo Abiodun Legacy Beyond 2027, has launched a strong defence of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Dapo Abiodun amid the growing controversy surrounding the Ogun East Senatorial ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.
The epic contest for the Ogun East All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket, which subtly began in the build-up to the 2023 general elections between incumbent Senator Gbenga Daniel and Governor Dapo Abiodun, took a dramatic turn three years later, peaking last week with Abiodun edging Daniel out of the race.
The governor eventually had a smooth ride to clinching the ticket after Daniel reportedly stepped aside amid an alleged plot to unleash violence targeting the senator and his supporters during the primary election.
The development, The Daily Crucible gathered, has left deep cracks within the ruling party in Ogun East Senatorial District, with many party members accusing Governor Abiodun of being both the architect and beneficiary of what they described as unfair treatment and in a manner that left many wondering whether the presidency had abandoned Daniel to his fate.
However, in a lengthy statement issued by the convener of Sustainability of Ogun State & Dapo Abiodun Legacy Beyond 2027, Com. Arabambi Abayomi, the group dismissed allegations that President Tinubu was “rewarding rebellion” by supporting Governor Abiodun’s emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate for the Ogun East Senate seat.
The statement was a direct response to a recent article titled “Tinubu, Abiodun and the Cost of Rewarding Rebellion,” written by Alex Olutunbosun, which criticised the President’s alleged endorsement of Governor Abiodun and accused the APC leadership of sidelining loyal party members.
Abayomi described the claims as “misleading” and accused former Ogun State Governor and serving Senator, Gbenga Daniel, of attempting to portray himself as a victim after allegedly losing political relevance within the party.
According to him, Daniel withdrew from the Ogun East senatorial primary after realising he had no chance of defeating Governor Abiodun, who had already secured the backing of APC stakeholders in the district.
“The truth nobody wants to say out loud is that Gbenga Daniel saw the writing on the wall. His media campaign collapsed, his propaganda failed, and he eventually pulled out of the race,” Abayomi stated.
He further alleged that Daniel had previously engaged in anti-party activities, including allegedly working against Governor Abiodun during the 2023 governorship election and supporting opposition interests.
The group also referenced Daniel’s suspension by the Ogun State APC in 2025 over alleged anti-party conduct, claiming he failed to honour invitations from the party’s disciplinary committee.
Abayomi argued that comparing Governor Abiodun to former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola or former presidential adviser Femi Ojudu was “intellectually dishonest,” insisting that Abiodun actively supported President Tinubu’s presidential ambition before the 2023 election.
He also defended the APC consensus arrangement that produced Abiodun as the preferred candidate for Ogun East, noting that Daniel himself benefited from a similar process in 2023 when he emerged as the party’s senatorial candidate following interventions by the late Awujale of Ijebuland.
Abayomi accused Daniel of hypocrisy for rejecting a political arrangement he once benefited from.
“Daniel is not fighting for democracy. He is fighting for himself,” the statement read.
The group maintained that the APC leadership in Ogun State had already made its decision regarding the Ogun East ticket and urged Daniel and his supporters to support President Tinubu and Governor Abiodun ahead of the 2027 elections.
It added that the party must prioritise discipline and loyalty over personal ambition to maintain internal stability.
