Governor Dapo Abiodun-led Ogun State Government has sealed the Sagamu residence and luxury hotel of former governor and serving senator Gbenga Daniel, escalating the political feud between both politicians.
Officials from the Sagamu Zonal Planning Office stormed Mr Daniel’s properties on Monday, removing the contravention and notices to quit earlier pasted on Friday and replacing them with sealing and demolition notices.
Eyewitnesses told Peoples Gazette that the officials, who arrived in Ogun State government-branded vehicles, did not inform occupants of the development. They hurriedly posted the new notices after journalists had left the area and sped off.
The Gazette also observed that a large campaign poster of Mr Abiodun, announcing his bid for the Ogun East Senatorial seat in the 2027 elections, has been mounted directly opposite Mr Daniel’s palatial residence — a move residents described as a deliberate taunt in the heated rivalry.
The development came barely two days after Mr Abiodun denied that the exercise was politically motivated, describing the insinuation as unfounded.
Mr Daniel, representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, hails from the same zone as Mr Abiodun. The governor is widely believed to be plotting to contest a seat in Senate in 2027, setting him on a collision course with Mr Daniel, expected to seek re-election.
The rivalry has deepened division in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), with insiders telling The Gazette that Mr Abiodun sees unseating Mr Daniel from the party as key to securing his own senatorial ticket. Both men were once close allies, with Mr Daniel backing Mr Abiodun’s 2019 governorship bid before their relationship soured, prompting accusations that the governor weaponised state powers against his predecessor.
Residents in Sagamu told The Gazette that political tension in the community had been building for months, with both men’s loyalists openly clashing over their principals’ ambitions. “We’ve never seen anything like this since 1999,” said one community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. “It is as if the 2027 elections have already started.”
Documents obtained by The Gazette show that the Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority issued a Notice of Contravention and a Notice to Quit on Friday for Mr Daniel’s Asoludero Court mansion on Obafemi Awolowo Avenue, GRA, Sagamu, and his nearby Conference Hotel. The notices, numbered 00049514 and 00047714, were served at about 4:00 p.m.
The Notice of Contravention, citing the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law No. 61 of 2022, alleged that the hotel was built without a planning permit and without adequate setbacks or approvals. It described the stage of work as “completed and in use” and ordered the removal of the contravention within three days or face demolition.
The appearance of Mr Abiodun’s campaign poster so close to Mr Daniel’s property further heightened tensions in Sagamu, with many locals seeing the move as a clear signal that the battle for Ogun East’s Senate seat has begun.
