Gbenga Daniel Alleges Political Witch-Hunt as Ogun Govt Orders Demolition of Residence and Hotels

Former Ogun State Governor and Senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of ordering the demolition of his private residence, The Asoludero Court, along with the Conference Hotels Limited and its annex in Sagamu. The governor’s administration served Daniel with notices of contravention, quit, and threats of demolition on Friday, August 8, citing violations of the 2022 Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law.

In a statement, Daniel vehemently condemned the move, describing it as politically motivated and a breach of due process. He emphasized that these properties were legally constructed years before the 2022 law came into effect—The Asoludero Court in 2004, the Conference Hotel in 2013, and the annex in 2015. He labeled the simultaneous issuance of a Notice of Contravention and a Notice to Quit, accompanied by an immediate demolition threat, as illegal and a tactic of political persecution aimed at intimidation.

Daniel further referenced a similar incident in September 2023 when the property of his wife in Ijebu Ode was demolished at night under suspicious circumstances, despite ongoing legal challenges that the state has lost.

The Ogun State Government, through Special Adviser Kayode Akinmade, denied targeting the senator personally, stating the notices were part of a routine audit of buildings with planning violations throughout Sagamu’s Government Reserved Area. The government insisted the exercise is statutory, routine, and applies to many properties, not just Daniel’s. The planning authority explained that fines, rather than demolition, are the prescribed penalties under the cited law for contraventions.

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The drama unfolds amid heightened political rivalry between Daniel and Governor Abiodun, both influential figures in Ogun East and the ruling APC. The rift is reportedly intensified by an ongoing contest for political influence ahead of the 2027 elections. Daniel supported Abiodun’s 2019 governorship bid, but their relationship has since soured, with accusations that the governor is using state instruments to sideline him politically.

The senator has called on citizens, legal bodies, and human rights organizations to condemn what he describes as an abuse of power and has vowed to pursue all legal options against the purported demolition orders.