Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Public Communications to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Mr. Dare Odufowokan, has dismissed insinuations by the senator representing Ogun East in the National Assembly, Gbenga Daniel, that he won the Ogun East senatorial ticket in 2023 through a massive showing at the primary election.
Odufowokan, speaking during an interview on Television Continental on Saturday, said the alleged primary election never took place, as Senator Daniel was reportedly at the palace of the late Oba Sikiru Adetona finalising a consensus arrangement at the very time the exercise was supposed to hold.
His position was corroborated by the National Vice Chairman (South-West) of the Labour Party and former chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Ogun State, Dr. Abayomi Arabambi, who declared that political opposition in Ogun State had never enjoyed the level of freedom currently obtainable under Governor Abiodun.
According to Odufowokan, journalists, party supporters, and stakeholders waited till late in the night on the day of the supposed primary before the Director-General of Senator Lekan Mustapha’s campaign organisation, Dr. Ipaye, eventually informed those gathered that a consensus arrangement had been reached at the Awujale’s palace in favour of Senator Daniel.
He said Senator Mustapha consequently agreed not to return to the Senate.
“The alleged primary referred to by Senator Gbenga Daniel never held. If a primary had not held by 5 p.m., why is somebody claiming to have won five local governments? Senator Daniel never surfaced at the venue until a deal was reached very late in the night at the palace of the late Awujale,” Odufowokan stated.
He added that when Senator Daniel eventually appeared, he allegedly had to persuade Dr. Ipaye to publicly raise his hands so disappointed supporters of Senator Lekan Mustapha could believe the consensus arrangement was genuine.
Speaking on allegations that Senator Daniel was prevented from attending a recent stakeholders’ meeting in Ijebu Ode, Odufowokan denied the claim, insisting that no one stopped the former governor from entering the venue.
According to him, the disagreement arose because Senator Daniel arrived with a busload of supporters and insisted on driving into the meeting venue with them, a move party leaders reportedly objected to.
Odufowokan said he personally approached the senator alongside the chairman of Odogbolu Local Government and advised him to proceed into the venue with only a smaller vehicle conveying himself and his security aides, but the senator allegedly declined.
“He decided he was not going to participate in the meeting. Senator Daniel only came on TV to play to the gallery,” he said.
On Senator Daniel’s opposition to the endorsement of Governor Abiodun for the Ogun East APC senatorial ticket ahead of the 2027 elections, Odufowokan expressed confidence that the governor would emerge victorious in the party’s primary.
“Governor Abiodun will win the Ogun State primary because he has given Ogun East legacy projects we can never forget. He has given us roads, an airport, health projects, among others,” he said.
Reacting to Senator Daniel’s claim that he facilitated the establishment of a naval dockyard in Ogun State, Odufowokan maintained that the project was conceived and executed by Governor Abiodun following several meetings with naval authorities.
“All documents relating to the project have the imprint of Governor Dapo Abiodun,” he said, challenging Senator Daniel to publish documentary evidence linking him directly to the initiative.
He further argued that Senator Daniel was merely moving motions on the floor of the Senate after discussions between Governor Abiodun and naval authorities had already been concluded.
On his part, Dr. Arabambi maintained that Senator Lekan Mustapha was persuaded to step down for Senator Daniel through a consensus arrangement brokered at the palace of the Awujale.
“This is the first time we are having clean opposition in Ogun State. During Daniel’s time, you couldn’t query him or challenge him the way he is now challenging Governor Abiodun. Some of us have cases against Governor Abiodun, but the kind of freedom we enjoy now did not happen under Governor Daniel,” Arabambi said.
