No vendetta against Gbenga Daniel… urban renewal plan holistic, says Ogun government

The Ogun state government has dismissed claims that Dapo Abiodun, governor of the state, is targeting Gbenga Daniel, senator representing Ogun east, with quit and demolition notices.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Kayode Akinmade, special adviser on information and strategy to Abiodun, said the allegation is “false” and aimed at causing disaffection in the state.

Akinmade was reacting to a statement issued by Daniel’s media office alleging “political persecution” over notices served on his private residence in Sagamu and his hotels in the state.

Daniel, a former governor, claimed the notices were a “vindictive abuse of power” and an attempt to apply a newly enacted law retroactively to target him.

Akinmade said the exercise is part of an ongoing urban renewal and development audit in Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode government reservation areas (GRAs).

He said the audit covers houses, schools, hospitals, and other commercial buildings to determine their permit status.

According to him, Daniel’s property is within Sagamu GRA and was served notices alongside many other buildings as required under the state’s town planning law.

“This process is not new,” he said, adding that the regulatory framework has existed since Daniel’s tenure as governor.

Akinmade said all that is required is for affected owners to present their planning permits and land titles to the relevant government office for verification.

He accused Daniel of “crying wolf” and using “cheap blackmail” to score political points instead of complying with the lawful directive.

“Nobody is bigger than the state,” Akinmade said.

“If anyone is after Senator Gbenga Daniel, it is certainly not the governor of Ogun state.”