The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has revealed that he played a key role in Gbenga Daniel’s gubernatorial victory in 2003 and subsequent election as senator for Ogun East on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform in 2023.
According to Abiodun, if Daniel feels the only way to repay his gesture was through media attacks, then he leaves him to his conscience.
A video which has gone viral showed that Abiodun spoke at an APC stakeholders meeting held at his Iperu Remo residence on Tuesday night.
The governor at the meeting announced his intention to contest the Ogun East Senate seat in 2027.
It will be recalled that some APC leaders, at a recent caucus meeting held in Ijebu-Ode, adopted Abiodun as the consensus candidate for the Ogun East Senatorial District in the forthcoming election.
Daniel, on Tuesday, despite the outcome of the meeting, purchased the nomination form in a bid to continue representing the district at the senate.
Abiodun explained that in 2003 when he lost the governorship ticket to Daniel on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he practically handed over his structure to the former governor to boost his victory at the poll.
The governor disclosed that he pleaded with the former deputy governor, Segun Adesegun, and the then incumbent senator, Lekan Mustapha, to step down their senate ambition for Daniel.
He said, ‘I was here when Senator Amosun became the governor, I was here when Otunba Gbenga Daniel became the governor and I actually contested against him in 2003 and when he emerged from the primaries, I was the first to congratulate him and handed over all my structures to him.
‘And we know what we have done for each other over the years. I know how my relationship with Governor Daniel is when I assumed office, how I held his hands to reintegrate back him into the party. These are facts.
‘I know what I did for Governor Daniel to become a senator, this is not something that I have ever said publicly but these are facts. Prince Segun Adesegun and Senator Lekan Mustapha were the front runners in that election.
‘I know what my intervention was before the two of them agreed to step down for Otunba Daniel to eventually emerge as the party’s candidate. If Senator Daniel now feels that the only way he wants to repay my years of support is to be sponsoring negative publicity and media attacks against me, I leave him to his conscience’.
Abiodun while addressing the meeting promised to give the people of Ogun East quality representation at the Senate.
‘When you gave me the mandate of Ogun State, I never disappointed you. I want to assure you that I will offer Ogun East the best representation ever in the history of the Red Chamber. I want to promise you that I will offer the district the best representation.
‘I will not be a back bencher. I will not be a person that will get there to just look . I will offer good representation to the good people of Ogun East, so help me God’.
