Senator Gbenga Daniel Rejects Governor Abiodun’s Claims Regarding Political Sponsorship and Electoral Structure Influence

Senator Gbenga Daniel rejects Governor Dapo Abiodun’s claims of political sponsorship, citing his own legacy and historical election facts in Ogun State.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 30, 2026, 5:29 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Politics Nigeria

A Public Dispute Over Historical Political Mandates

The political landscape in Ogun State has been marked by a sharp exchange between two of its most prominent figures, as Senator Gbenga Daniel issued a stinging rebuttal to claims made by Governor Dapo Abiodun. On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Governor Abiodun asserted that he had previously collapsed his own political structure to facilitate Daniel’s governorship and was instrumental in his 2023 senatorial success. Daniel has characterized these statements as fictional accounts that only survive in environments where they are not subject to immediate interrogation.

Revisiting the Contested Governorship Races of the Early 2000s

Addressing the Governor’s claims about the 2003 election cycle, Daniel clarified that while Abiodun did contest the governorship under the Peoples Democratic Party, it was Daniel who secured the party’s mandate and the subsequent general election. He described Abiodun’s early campaigns as particularly vicious, yet noted that he maintained an inclusive administration by appointing the current Governor as the pioneer Chairman of the Gateway Oil and Gas Committee. This historical context is intended to refute the narrative that Daniel’s rise was a product of the Governor’s political benevolence.

Challenging the Efficacy of the Governor’s Political Structure

To further contest the idea of a dominant political machine, Senator Daniel pointed to Governor Abiodun’s significant electoral defeat in the 2015 Ogun East Senatorial race against the late Buruji Kashamu. Daniel argued that such a loss directly contradicts the Governor’s current claims regarding the formidable nature of his political structure. By highlighting these past results, Daniel seeks to demonstrate that the Governor’s influence has not always translated into electoral victory, even within his own home district.