Why Ogun APC suspended Gbenga Daniel

Senator representing Ogun East in the National Assembly and former governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel, was suspended for a series of anti-party actions against the party beginning from the 2023 general elections and right up to the recent House of Representatives by-election in Remo, sources familiar with the matter have said.

The senator, whose suspension by the leadership of Ward 4, Sagamu Local Government Area, was ratified by the State Working Committee (SWC), last week, at a meeting presided over by the chairman of the party in the state, Chief Yemi Sanusi, was said to have deliberately shunned the by-election campaign of the party even when the National Chairman of the party, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, visited the state to lead the campaign.

He was alleged to have sent a message to his supporters asking them to vote in the Saturday, August 17 election like they did “last time,” a reference to the March 18, 2023, governorship election during which he mobilised his supporters to vote for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Kessington Adebutu, after cutting a deal with the then candidate, who is currently standing trial for alleged vote buying and criminal conspiracy.

The APC leadership was, it was learnt, angered that the senator had enjoyed uncommon privileges since joining the party but had opted to work against it, except during his own election.

The leadership was also miffed by the allegation that Daniel and his sides began threatening the leadership of Ward 4 after an invitation was extended to him to respond to the claims against him.

It will be recalled that Governor Dapo Abiodun, was prevailed upon by traditional rulers in the state, led by the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr) Sikiru Adetona, to back Daniel’s senatorial bid and persuade the then incumbent senator, Lekan Mustapha, to concede the ticket to Daniel.

Immediately Daniel got the ticket, however, he was said to have turned against the governor, reasoning that if he stopped the governor from winning his re-election battle, that would put him in a vantage position to secure the Ogun East re-election ticket in 2027, since he and the governor are from the same senatorial district.

In actualizing this, the senator allegedly struck a deal with the camp of Adebutu following his victory at the senatorial election.

cupped from Vanguard