Demolition Furore In Ogun State: OGD Accuses Gov. Abiodun Of Political Vendetta, Government Denies Allegations

…Says Governor Not Targeting Former Governor

ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA – Former Governor of Ogun State and Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD), has accused the state government of engaging in political vendetta over the issuance of contravention and demolition notices on his Sagamu properties.

Speaking through his media aide, Mr. Steve Oliyide, during a press conference at Asoludero Courts, Sagamu, on Monday, August 4, 2025, OGD argued that “a good government does not destroy properties but focuses on development.”

He questioned why only his properties were marked for demolition if the state was truly conducting a land audit, urging that Governor Dapo Abiodun’s private residence in Iperu be served similar notices if the exercise was genuine.

Oliyide recalled that in 2019, when Governor Abiodun was publicly endorsed at Asoludero Hall, the same properties were deemed compliant with state laws.

He expressed suspicion over the simultaneous issuance of both contravention and demolition notices, and referenced the controversial September 2022 midnight demolition of Datkem Plaza.

“If you are doing a land audit, what is the penalty for that? Why start with OGD’s property? This is a deliberate insult to the people of Ogun State”, Oliyide stated, accusing the governor of creating chaos ahead of the 2027 elections.

Shortly after the press conference, another sealed notice was pasted on Asoludero Court, ordering removal of the alleged contravention within three days or risk demolition at the owner’s expense.

In a swift reaction, the Ogun State Government dismissed Senator Daniel’s accusations as “a barefaced lie.”

In a statement signed by Mr. Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, the government said the notices were part of an ongoing urban renewal programme covering multiple GRAs in the state.

The statement explained that the development audit – already implemented in Ibara GRA, Abeokuta, and now extended to Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode – aims to verify planning permits and land titles for all properties, including residential, commercial, and institutional buildings.

Akinmade maintained that OGD’s buildings fell within Sagamu GRA and were among several structures served notices in accordance with the Town Planning Law.

He urged the senator to present his documents for verification “rather than resorting to cheap blackmail.”

“Senator Gbenga Daniel is distinguished, no doubt, but he is not bigger than Ogun State,” the statement read, stressing that Governor Abiodun holds the senator in high regard but will not exempt him from lawful processes.

The government’s position was that the exercise is routine and not targeted, insisting that those with proper documentation have nothing to fear.

“No one should assign impure motives to a statutory procedure. If anyone is after Senator Gbenga Daniel, it is certainly not the Governor of Ogun State”, the statement concluded.