The decision by former Ogun State Governor, Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD), to direct his supporters to stay away from the Ogun East APC senatorial primary is nothing but a clear admission of political defeat even before the first ballot is cast.
For weeks, OGD and his loyalists have engaged in media propaganda, emotional blackmail and endless blame games, all in a desperate attempt to paint Governor Prince Dr. Dapo Abiodun – MFR in bad light ahead of the primary election. But the truth remains obvious to party members and the people of Ogun East: OGD knew quite well that contesting against Governor Dapo Abiodun was a battle he could not win.
Rather than face the reality of the overwhelming support Governor Abiodun currently enjoys across Ogun East, OGD chose the easy route of raising alarm, making unsubstantiated allegations and attempting to draw sympathy from the Presidency and the APC National Working Committee.
Unfortunately for him, neither the Presidency nor the APC national leadership gave attention to the distractions because they understand clearly where the goodwill, popularity and grassroots support truly reside.
The irony of the entire drama is that if OGD genuinely believed he had the support he constantly boasts about, the logical thing would have been to test his popularity at the primary. After all, internal democracy is about allowing party members to decide. But instead of stepping into the contest, he opted to retreat while trying to create excuses ahead of defeat.
Even more surprising was his directive asking supporters to boycott the primary election. If indeed he had made up his mind to abandon the race, political decency and party loyalty demanded that he should have openly announced his withdrawal and encouraged his supporters to align with the decision of the party and respect the collective direction of the APC in Ogun East.
This latest development only confirms what many party faithful have long known, that the endorsement of Governor Dapo Abiodun by stakeholders, party leaders, elected officials, local government executives, councillors, women groups, youth bodies and APC members across Ogun East was not cosmetic, but a reflection of political reality on ground.
Governor Dapo Abiodun’s growing acceptance did not happen by accident. It is a product of visible performance, inclusive governance, infrastructural development, economic expansion and strategic leadership that have transformed different parts of Ogun State over the years. From roads and healthcare to housing, agriculture, industrial growth, security and aviation infrastructure, the governor has remained focused on governance while others remain focused on political theatrics.
The people of Ogun East can clearly see the difference between performance and propaganda. That is why no amount of sponsored narratives can overshadow the developmental strides currently taking place across the district and the state at large.
At this point, what is expected from every loyal APC member is unity, discipline and total commitment to the progress of the party ahead of the 2027 elections. The APC in Ogun State has moved beyond unnecessary distractions and the focus remains sustaining the gains already achieved under the leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun.
Politics is about service, structure and support from the people. On all fronts, Governor Dapo Abiodun remains firmly ahead and the events unfolding around the Ogun East senatorial primary have only made that reality even clearer
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