Governor Dapo Abiodun-led Ogun State Government on Friday marked the Sagamu residence and luxury hotel of a former governor and serving senator Gbenga Daniel for demolition within three days, deepening the fierce political rivalry between both men ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mr Daniel, who represents Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, hails from the same senatorial zone as Mr Abiodun. The governor is widely rumoured to be plotting to contest a Senate seat in 2027, a plan that has set him on a collision course with Mr Daniel, expected to seek re-election.
The rivalry has fractured the state’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), with insiders telling Peoples Gazette that Mr Abiodun sees pushing Mr Daniel out of the party as the surest way to secure the ticket. Both men were once allies, with Mr Daniel supporting Mr Abiodun’s successful 2019 governorship bid. The relationship soured soon after, and the governor has since been accused of using state machinery to target his predecessor.
The Gazette obtained documents showing that the Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority issued both a Notice of Contravention and a Notice to Quit for Mr Daniel’s Asoludero Court residence on Obafemi Awolowo Avenue, GRA, Sagamu, including his nearby Conference Hotel. The notices, numbered 00049514 and 00047714, were served simultaneously by the Sagamu Zonal Planning Office at about 4:00 p.m. on Friday, August 8.
The Notice of Contravention, citing the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law No. 61 of 2022 and the accompanying regulations, alleged that the hotel was constructed without a planning permit and without adequate setbacks or approvals. It described the stage of work as “completed and in use” and ordered removal of the contravention within “three (3) days” or face demolition.
The Notice to Quit similarly ordered occupants of the residence to vacate within three days of service “during the impending demolition of the development,” warning that the authority “will not be liable for any loss suffered” or damage to property.
But the cited laws were enacted in 2022—more than 15 years after the properties were completed. Mr Daniel’s media aide, Steve Oliyide, told The Gazette that the residence, which includes a political leadership institute, a massive event hall, and a large underground library, was built in 2004 while Mr Daniel was governor. “It is not possible that a sitting governor at the time would have built without the necessary permits,” he said.
Mr Oliyide said the team visited the Sagamu Zonal Planning Office on Friday shortly after the notices were served but “met nobody at the office.” He added that the three-day ultimatum effectively expires on a weekend when government offices are closed. “We have all the necessary documents, and the planning office has them too,” he said.
Checks by The Gazette show that under the cited law, the penalty for a contravention—if proven—is a fine of ₦120,000, not demolition.
The latest action follows a September 2023 incident in which Mr Daniel’s wife’s property in Ijebu-Ode was demolished at about 1:00 a.m. on a Sunday. Electricity was cut to the entire area from Saturday night until Sunday morning. She later won a court case against the government over the incident, but the building had already been destroyed.
Mr Abiodun, who has faced persistent rumours of political gangsterism in Ogun politics, is also known for his previous failed attempts to win a senatorial seat, after which he reportedly went after former political associates to reclaim material and financial favours extended to them during earlier campaigns.
The Gazette understands that Mr Daniel is currently out of the country as the Senate is in recess. Multiple calls to Mr Abiodun’s mobile phone rang out before being diverted to voicemail.
However, when The Gazette contacted the Ogun State’s Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, on Saturday morning, the SSG declined comments on the matter, urging our correspondent to “contact the department involved,” saying “the matter is not in my purview.”
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