Senator Gbenga Daniel has said he will defeat Governor Dapo Abiodun by a wide margin if the APC holds a free and fair primary for the Ogun East senatorial seat ahead of 2027.
Speaking Tuesday at an empowerment programme organised by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu–Otunba Gbenga Daniel Movement in Ijebu-Ode, the former Ogun governor said he remained the popular choice in the district.
“Without any doubt, in a free and fair primary, I will not just win, I will win overwhelmingly,” Daniel said. “Go to town and check with the people. Ask them questions about who is on the ground.”
He alleged that some party forces were planning to intimidate members to suppress turnout.
“What the governor and others depend on is that they’re going to use violence and scare people from coming out to vote. And that’s why I’m telling our people that they should not be deterred; they should come out and vote,” he said.
The contest has intensified after an APC stakeholders’ meeting in Ogun East reportedly endorsed Abiodun as the consensus candidate. Former senator Lekan Mustapha said leaders adopted Abiodun for his capacity to represent the district effectively. Daniel was reportedly barred from the venue.
Daniel’s camp rejected the endorsement. BATOGD Movement Deputy Director-General Tayo Onayemi said the Electoral Act and APC constitution only recognise consensus backed by a written agreement of all aspirants or direct primaries. “There is nothing like endorsement in the Electoral Act… anything short of this is null and void,” he said.
Both Daniel and Abiodun obtained and submitted APC nomination forms and appeared for the primary.
At Tuesday’s event, Daniel also accused the state government of frustrating development projects he had facilitated in Ogun East and criticized its handling of healthcare and infrastructure. He pointed to the turnout at the programme as proof of his grassroots support.
“The notice of this meeting was issued two days ago. The people are here standing; they’re trying to stop it again,” he said.
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