The Ogun State Government, led by Governor Dapo Abiodun, has sealed the Sagamu residence and luxury hotel of former governor and serving senator Gbenga Daniel, just two days after dismissing allegations that the move was politically motivated.
On Monday, officials from the Sagamu Zonal Planning Office arrived in government-branded vehicles, removing earlier contravention and quit notices pasted on Friday, and replacing them with sealing and demolition notices. Witnesses said the action was carried out swiftly, without prior notification to occupants, and after journalists had left the area.
Tensions heightened further after residents observed a large campaign poster of Mr Abiodun — announcing his 2027 bid for the Ogun East Senatorial seat — mounted directly opposite Mr Daniel’s mansion. Locals interpreted this as a deliberate taunt amid the intensifying rivalry.
Mr Daniel, who currently represents Ogun East at the National Assembly, is expected to seek re-election in 2027. Both men hail from the same zone, and political insiders say Mr Abiodun views unseating Mr Daniel as key to securing his own senatorial ticket.
The feud has deepened divisions within the All Progressives Congress (APC). Once political allies — with Mr Daniel backing Mr Abiodun’s 2019 governorship bid — their relationship has soured, sparking accusations that the governor is using state machinery to target his predecessor.
Documents obtained show that on Friday, the Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority served a Notice of Contravention and a Notice to Quit on Mr Daniel’s Asoludero Court mansion and his nearby Conference Hotel. The notices, citing the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law No. 61 of 2022, alleged the hotel was constructed without the required planning permits or adequate setbacks.
Officials ordered the removal of the contravention within three days or face demolition. The properties remain sealed as political tension in Sagamu continues to rise, with community leaders warning that the battle for Ogun East’s Senate seat appears to have already begun.
