The Progressives Youth Wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State has strongly condemned the alleged orchestrated campaign against former Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD), describing it as a sinister plot by Governor Dapo Abiodun to force Daniel out of the ruling party.
In a statement released in Abeokuta on Sunday, the Youth Wing accused Governor Abiodun of masterminding a series of targeted actions against OGD, ranging from the threats to demolish his house and hotel, to a purported suspension plot and the spread of revisionist narratives aimed at tarnishing his image.
According to the group, these actions are not isolated but part of a calculated agenda to frustrate Daniel out of the APC so that Governor Abiodun can secure an uncontested run for the Ogun East senatorial ticket in the next election.
“The grand design is simple: to set President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against OGD by painting him as unreliable. But this false narrative will collapse under the weight of history. While OGD was a key financier of NADECO and an unapologetic defender of democracy during the dark days of military dictatorship, Dapo Abiodun was busy hobnobbing with anti-democratic forces who sought to truncate the June 12 struggle,” the statement read.
The Youth Wing further alleged that Governor Abiodun’s greatest fear is the cordial relationship between OGD and President Tinubu, a bond nurtured over four decades, which the governor suspects may hinder his own senatorial ambitions.
“As a true progressive with clear pedigree, OGD remains a solid pillar in the midst of genuine progressives. Rather than dissipating energy on crude power games, Governor Abiodun should channel the over ₦1 trillion budget of Ogun State towards meaningful development that will better the lives of our people,” the statement continued.
The group also warned of intelligence reports at its disposal alleging that Governor Abiodun is sponsoring rented protests and plotting malicious attacks on OGD’s properties.
“We have it on good authority that the Governor is planning assaults and arson against Daniel’s properties. Security agencies are hereby put on alert. Ogun State cannot afford a descent into political violence instigated by one man’s desperation,” the Youth Wing declared.
Reaffirming their loyalty to the APC and President Tinubu, the Progressives Youth Wing pledged to resist every attempt to isolate or malign OGD, insisting that the former governor’s contributions to democracy and progressive politics remain indelible.
“OGD cannot and will not be driven out of APC. He is a founding pillar, a democrat, and a statesman. Any attempt to destroy him is an attempt to weaken the progressives’ family in Ogun and by extension Nigeria. Governor Abiodun should retrace his steps and embrace true service,” the group concluded.