The Ogun State Government has dismissed allegations of political witch-hunting from the former governor and current Senator, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, following the service of demolition notices on several of his properties.
The government, in a statement issued on Saturday, insisted that the notices are part of a standard urban renewal and town planning audit exercise, not a personal vendetta.
The development comes after Daniel’s media office raised an alarm, accusing Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration of a “malicious and vindictive abuse of power.”
Daniel’s team claimed that the notices were issued on Friday, August 8, for his Sagamu private residence, known as The Asoludero Court, and his Conference Hotels Limited.
They argued that the government was attempting to use the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2022 retroactively to demolish buildings that were legally constructed long before the law was enacted, with some properties dating back to 2004. This was also linked to a previous demolition of a property belonging to his wife in Ijebu-Ode in 2023.
In response, the state government, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, on Saturday, debunked the claims, describing them as “blatant distortions of facts.”
Akinmade clarified that the notices were part of a development audit being conducted in the Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode Government Reserved Areas, an initiative he said affects many other property owners.
Akinmade said that instead of politicising the issue, Daniel should follow due process.
“All Otunba Gbenga Daniel needs to do, just like every other person in a similar situation, is to present his planning permit and land title to the relevant government agency for verification within the time specified in the notices, rather than resorting to cheap blackmail,” he said.
He further emphasised the government’s position on the rule of law.
“Nobody is bigger than the State,” Akinmade said, adding that “Senator Gbenga Daniel is distinguished, no doubt, but he is not bigger than Ogun State. He should submit himself unreservedly to the same laws he once swore twice to uphold,” he said.
The government’s statement also pointed out that such town planning audits are not new and have been a standard procedure, including during Daniel’s tenure as governor. It concluded by urging Daniel to avoid framing every interaction with government institutions as a personal attack on Governor Abiodun.
The Punch
