Former governor of Ogun state and senator representing Ogun East senatorial district, Gbenga Daniel, said that the relationship between himself and incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun has not been amicable after he supported President Bola Tinubu’s bid for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the presidential election primaries in 2022 against the governor’s wish.
“For me, it is difficult not to support Asiwaju’s presidency because he is our overall boss. That is different from the position of my governor. But I understand where he was coming from, he was not really one of us at the beginning of the transition in 1998/1999. The contest did not go the way my governor wanted,” Mr Daniel said.
In an interview with This Day published on Sunday, Mr Daniel revealed that speculations on his relationship with Mr Abiodun stemmed from differences in which aspirant they supported for the presidential primary election.
He disclosed that Mr Abiodun did not initially support Mr Tinubu’s bid for APC’s nomination which despite efforts by the governor to conceal would be referred to as an audacious retaliation for derogatory comments Mr Tinubu made when he claimed credit for his emergence as governor.
Mr Tinubu had on June 2, 2022, visited the party’s stakeholders as part of his final push for support to win the APC’s nomination. During the event, he referred to Mr Abiodun, as “eleyi”, a term many described as derogatorily.
He also claimed that Mr Abiodun could not have been elected governor without his help. Mr Abiodun, visibly humiliated by the comments, later tweeted that he holds public office in trust and not as an emperor, a comment which was seen as a response to Mr Tinubu.
Mr Daniel added that Mr Abiodun’s win, which is currently being contested, was narrow because of the many administrative challenges that beset the state under his leadership.
“The people of Ogun state were also complaining. I am in position to know because I have my network across the state. I know a lot of people were not particularly excited about his election. Civil servants have the issue of unpaid allowances. Teachers too have their own issues with him. Pensioners have issues with the governor,” he added.
