August 18, (THEWILL) — The Ogun State High Court managed to douse the tension building around the state, following the state government’s insistence on the demolition of Senator Gbenga Daniel’s private residence, Asoludero Court, in Sagamu GRA and Conference Hotel, also owned by the former governor of the state.
The High Court Judge, Justice O.S. Oloyede, on Tuesday issued an ex parte order barring the governor or any official from the state government from tampering with or demolishing the private residence and the hotel pending the determination of the motion on notice before the court.
Justice O.S Oloyede gave the order, following a motion for an ex-parte order for an interim injunction filed on behalf of Daniel and his wife, Yeye Olufunke Daniel, by their counsel, A M Kotoye, SAN against Governor Abiodun, the Attorney-General of Ogun State, Ogun State Planning and Development Permit and the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development.
The suit was adjourned till August 19, 2025 for the hearing of the application for interlocutory injunction.
THEWILL gathered that although Senator Daniel made reference to a political motive without details, sources say the undercurrent of the 2023 general election is still running deep as the countdown to the 2027 election begins.
Although both men in are leaders in the same All Progressives Congress, APC, and come from the same Ogun East Senatorial District, they are said to have parted ways since the outcome of the poll, which the incumbent governor won by a 2.2 percent margin over his closest Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, rival, Ladi Adebutu, having polled 276,298 votes as against the latter’s 262,283 votes. The PDP candidate defeated the governor in Daniel’s constituencies, namely Sagamu, Ikenne Ijebu East, Remo North and Odogbolu, for examples.
The upcoming by-elections in those constituencies, namely Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North in Ogun State on August 16, 2025, appear to have opened new wounds.
The Saturday by-election is a test of popularity and strength ahead of the 2027 election. Abiodun, who would have completed a second term in office by that time, is said to be warming up for the senatorial position of Ogun East in 2027.
According to INEC, “The outstanding bye-elections involve two senatorial districts in Anambra South and Edo Central; five federal constituencies in Ovia South West/Ovia South East in Edo State; Babura/Garki in Jigawa State; Chikun/Kajuru in Kaduna State, Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North in Ogun State; and Ibadan North in Oyo State. Others include nine state constituencies: Ganye in Adamawa State; Onitsha North I in Anambra State; Dekina/Okura in Kogi State; Zaria Kewaye and Basawa in Kaduna State; Bagwai/Shanono in Kano State; Mariga in Niger State; Karim Lamido I in Taraba State; and Kauran Namoda South in Zamfara State.
Before the temporary suspension of verbal exchanges between the governor and former governor, Senator Daniel, representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, had the previous week accused Governor Abiodun of abusing power by attempting to demolish his private residence, his hotel and its annex, following the issuance of a quit order and notice of demolition on Thursday, August 8, 2025.
According to the Senator, the governor was weaponising the law against a political opponent. The “act of weaponising state power to settle political scores and drag Ogun into an era where the rule of law is optional,” was unbecoming of the governor.
Not so correct, Governor Abiodun said and explained that Daniel was reading political motives in the law with the intention of fomenting trouble and causing chaos in the state, adding that nobody is above the law.
Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the governor, Kayode Akinmade, urged Daniel to obey the law of the state, saying that being a Senator does not make him “bigger than Ogun State. He accused Senator Daniel of politicising a straightforward matter as simple as a quit order on properties that were not properly documented and situated on government land. He denied claims by the former governor that Abiodun was abusing his power to persecute his political opponents, insisting that Daniel should stop crying foul over the quit order and notice of demolition on his reference property, as “Senator Gbenga Daniel is not bigger than Ogun State”.
Abiodun accused the former governor of “distorting facts by using a familiar pattern on property demolition to ascribe a political motive with the aim of using underhand tactics to achieve their goals,’ asking Daniel to “present his planning permit and land title to the relevant government agency’s office for verification.”
Intervening in the matter, a civil society organisation, the Centre for Policy Intervention in Africa, CEPIA), called on President Bola Tinubu to bring the warring parties together before the state becomes a battleground for political giants and their supporters.
The group’s Director of Publicity, Ismail Olawale appealed to President Bola Tinubu to direct the Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to investigate the legality and constitutional implications of the demolition threats.
Olawale argued that the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law No. 61 of 2022 was enacted after Senator Daniel’s properties were acquired, built and occupied, between 2013 and 2015, adding that “the campaign of intimidation and property destruction has every appearance of a deliberate and sustained political witch-hunt against a sitting senator and perceived political rival.”
Working within the limit of the court order, the Ogun State Government last Wednesday extended the deadline for property owners/occupiers affected by the ongoing audit exercises to submit their title documents by two weeks.
This extension is aimed at giving property owners and developers more time to either present their planning permits or approach the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and its agencies to regularise their unapproved developments.
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tunji Odunlami, said the extension demonstrates the goodwill of the government to property owners who are yet to submit their documents.
Addressing the Senator’s matter, Odulami added, ” The government emphasises that this magnanimity does not derogate whatsoever from its constitutional and statutory actions already carried out on the matter. The government again reiterates that the physical development audit exercise currently taking place in Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode and elsewhere across the state is not a witch hunt of any individual or organisation, but a continuous effort towards ensuring sustainable urban development across the state.”
Fearing outbreak of violence in the constituencies for August 16 bye-election, Governor Abiodun, took the message of peace to the areas last week, vowing to deal decisively with anyone who attempts to disrupt Saturday’s by-election into the Remo Federal Constituency.
Speaking at the APC campaign rally in Ogijo, Sagamu Local Government Area, Abiodun stressed that the poll is not a war, but a democratic process to elect a replacement for the late Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga, who represented the constituency in the House of Representatives.
“I have heard that some people are issuing threats; this is not a threat we will take lightly. Anyone who causes trouble on Saturday will be dealt with,” the governor said.
He assured residents of their safety, noting that, as the Chief Security Officer of Ogun State, he would ensure adequate protection before, during, and after the election.
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