Revealed: 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 subversive actions against the party beginning from the 2023 general election 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 vote buying and criminal conspiracy.
The senator was said to have deleted the text message after the APC leadership got wind of the conspiracy, but the damage had already been done.
The APC leadership was said to have been 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 fact that Daniel and his sides began threatening the leadership of Ward 4 after an invitation was extended to him to respond to the allegations against him.
It will be recalled that the state 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 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 plot, the senator reportedly struck a deal with the camp of Adebutu worth billions of naira despite having been mobilised by the APC leadership for the governorship election following his victory at the senatorial election.
As revealed during an investigation, Daniel received various sums, including, in one instance, over N350m into his Gateway Front Foundation’s (GFF) account domiciled with FCMB in tranches from one of the associates of the father of a gubernatorial candidate in the State.
The funds were subsequently moved to the senator’s private accounts, contrary to the laws guiding foundations and charities in the country.
According to a member of the ruling party in the state who spoke to newsmen at the time: “Amosun understood Daniel’s manner of operation and ensured that he was kept at bay for eight years, seizing his assets. That raises the question why some politicians are so disloyal and treacherous.
“Considering the fact that Abiodun moved mountains to ensure that Daniel was given the senatorial ticket that he would have lost to Lekan Mustafa, many APC faithful were left wondering how he bit the finger that fed him, openly calling people across the state to work against Abiodun.
“ That’s why the tag of serial betrayer seems to have stuck with him and many party faithful have decided to keep him at arms length.”
