Daniel: Only God Knows Ogun’s Next Governor

​ABEOKUTA – The burial ceremony of Princess Sabainah Ibironke Opawole, mother-in-law of former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, became a focal point for the state’s unfolding 2027 gubernatorial contest on Friday.

​The funeral, held at the Ibara Baptist Church in Abeokuta, saw a convergence of Ogun State’s political heavyweights, including Governor Dapo Abiodun, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Senator Solomon Adeola (Yayi), and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival, Oladipupo Adebutu.

​The solemnity of the service was briefly interrupted when supporters of the two leading opposition figures began chanting solidarity slogans for their respective candidates. While Adebutu was paying tribute to the deceased, his supporters erupted in chants of “Say Lado for 2027,” which were promptly met by counter-chants from Senator Adeola’s camp.

​Addressing the congregation, Otunba Daniel, who represents Ogun East in the Senate, intervened to call for decorum. “We are here to pay our last respects to my mother-in-law. This is not the appropriate place for political campaigns or slogans,” he stated, urging the supporters to respect the sanctity of the church.

​In his vote of thanks, however, the former governor struck a reconciliatory tone, dismissing concerns that the heightened political activity would lead to violence. He framed the rivalry as a standard facet of the state’s political culture, played out with maturity.

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​”Something tells me that by the time we come back here, sometimes next year, about this time, somebody in this room would have become the governor of Ogun State,” Daniel remarked. “I don’t know who the person is. I don’t know, but God knows who is going to be the next governor.”

​The burial was a high-profile gathering reflecting the influence of the late matriarch, who passed away at the age of 93. Among those present were Mrs. Bola Obasanjo, representing former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Chief Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, representing former Governor Ibikunle Amosun; and other prominent stakeholders.

​Tributes from the dignitaries painted a picture of a life defined by faith and service. Governor Abiodun praised the deceased as a “woman of valour and virtue,” while Senator Adeola described her as a pillar whose legacy was evident in the character of her children.

​As the state edges closer to the 2027 election cycle, the political atmosphere remains charged. With Senator Adeola recently securing his consensus candidacy for the APC—complete with the announcement of Alhaja Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun as his running mate—and Adebutu firmly entrenched as a key challenger, the contest is widely viewed as a pivotal battle for the soul of Ogun State.