By Gold Jeremiah
Former Ogun State Governor and Senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of neglecting Ijebu land and allegedly playing a role in Ogun State losing the multibillion-naira Dangote Refinery project to Lagos State.
Daniel, who spoke on Tuesday during the Bola Ahmed Tinubu/Otunba Gbenga Daniel Midterm Assessment and Empowerment Tour held at his private residence in Ijebu Ode, said there is little to show for the governor’s almost seven years in office in the Ijebu axis, despite the state’s increased federal allocation following fuel subsidy removal.
According to the senator, Ijebu land, which comprises six local governments, has not benefitted proportionately from the state’s improved revenue inflow. He also alleged that the governor repeatedly failed to support key federal projects he facilitated in the area.
•Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State
Daniel further claimed that Abiodun had not supported the agitation for the creation of Ijebu State, describing the governor’s silence on the matter as disappointing to the people of the region.
The former governor alleged that Ogun State lost the Dangote Refinery project—initially proposed for Ogun Waterside Local Government Area—due to decisions taken by the current administration.
He said the groundwork for the refinery project had been completed before he left office in 2011, but that the investment later moved to Lagos. Daniel stated that although he initially blamed former Governor Ibikunle Amosun, the latter allegedly told him that Governor Abiodun, who represented him during negotiations, should explain how the project was lost.
“We finished the work on the Dangote Refinery, which was supposed to be in Ijebu land. After we left office, the refinery was lost to Lagos,” Daniel said.
He also lamented the lack of a standard hospital in Ijebu Ode, adding that he facilitated the establishment of a Federal Medical Centre in the town but claimed the project would have progressed faster if the governor had offered support.
Daniel further cited the Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic in Ijebu Igbo and the Ijebu Ode International Stadium as examples of abandoned facilities suffering neglect, despite what he described as a significant increase in state revenue.
He claimed Ogun State now receives about four times its previous allocation and noted that while his administration had access to N330 billion over eight years, the current government has a N1.6 trillion budget for this year alone.
The senator also declared that he could defeat Governor Abiodun in the 2027 Ogun East senatorial primary election if the contest is free and fair, insisting he would not be intimidated by the powers of incumbency.
Reacting to the allegations, Governor Abiodun’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, dismissed Daniel’s claims as “hogwash,” describing him as a desperate politician.
Akinmade said the governor had executed over 29 infrastructural projects across Ijebu land and denied that Abiodun opposed federal projects in the district. He insisted the claim that the governor was responsible for the relocation of the Dangote Refinery to Lagos was false.
He argued that Dangote himself had previously blamed former Governor Amosun for driving him out of Ogun State, alleging that Amosun demolished his factory and forced him to relocate to Lagos.
Akinmade also stated that Ogun East APC stakeholders had endorsed Governor Abiodun as the consensus candidate for the Ogun East Senate seat, insisting Daniel should prepare to accept defeat.