Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Monday, caved in to pressure against his alleged move to demolish the properties belonging to his predecessor and Ogun East Senator, Gbenga Daniel.
Peoples Gazette had on Monday visited Mr Daniel’s private residence, The Asoludero Court, Conference Hotels Limited and its annexe, and noticed two notices, one for contravention and the other to quit, both dated August 8, 2025, pasted allegedly without attempting to communicate with residents in the buildings.
Later on Monday, it was also gathered that officials from the urban and physical planning, after citing a crowd at the buildings from the estate gate, waited for them to disperse before coming to remove both notices and replace them with “NOTICE OF DEMOLITION” and “NOTICE OF SEALING”, both dated August 11, 2025, which they still returned hours later to remove.
However, despite the pasted and later removed demolition and sealing notices already captured by residents and the media present, the commissioner, Tunji Odunlami, at a news conference at the Governor’s Office in Abeokuta, on Monday, said he is unaware of the sealing of Mr Daniel’s properties, explaining that what was pasted was only a stop and quit notice.
Mr Odunlami said, “What we are doing now is no exception. This exercise was done in Abeokuta and is now extended to Shagamu and Ijebu-Ode. All building owners served with the notice simply need to visit the issuing office with their permits and documents for verification. As we speak, Senator Gbenga Daniel has yet to do so or make any representation to that effect. The goal is not to victimise anyone who obeys the law.”
Stating that the exercise would soon be extended to Government Reserved Areas in Ota and Ilaro, the commissioner stated that his ministry followed procedure, explaining that before sealing, a property is physically marked and a sticker or cross-sign indicating sealing is pasted on it.
Mr Daniel is, however, not leaving any stone unturned,as The Gazette observed on Monday night, military presence patrolling Mr Daniel’s residence and hotels to secure his properties while youths said to be from the area have been keeping vigil at the premises of the properties since the governor announced the demolition notice.
Spokesperson to the senator, Steve Oliyide, told The Gazette that, “the soldiers are around from 8:00 a.m. till in the evening, while members of the Oodua Peoples Congress will take over through the night.”
The political tussle between both political heavyweights, hailing from the same senatorial zone, continues to heat up, as the race for the senatorial seat in 2027, which both politicians have also indicated interest in, draws near. (Peoples Gazette)
