Gbenga Daniel says he will defeat Governor Dapo Abiodun overwhelmingly if the All Progressives Congress holds a free and fair senatorial primary in Ogun East ahead of the 2027 general election. The former Ogun State governor and current senator made the declaration on Tuesday at an empowerment programme in Ijebu-Ode, where he warned supporters not to be intimidated during the contest.
“Without any doubt, in a free and fair primary, I will not just win, I will win overwhelmingly,” Daniel said, adding that he had reached “a point of no return” in his bid to return to the National Assembly. He also urged party members to take their membership cards to their wards and vote for the candidate of their choice, saying, “Do not be intimidated.”
The event, organised by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu–Otunba Gbenga Daniel Movement, was held at the Obalofin Court, Daniel’s private residence in Ijebu-Ode GRA, during what the group called a mid-term assessment tour and empowerment programme for constituents in Ogun East Senatorial District. It included a free medical outreach for more than 2,500 residents, along with agricultural inputs such as fertilisers and sprayers and items including power generating sets, freezers and sewing machines.
Daniel’s comments came after weeks of tension inside the APC over the Ogun East ticket. Party stakeholders in the district reportedly endorsed Abiodun as the consensus candidate, a move rejected by Daniel’s political structure, the BATOGD Movement. Daniel was reportedly prevented from entering the venue of the stakeholders’ meeting in Ijebu-Ode, deepening the rift between the two men.
Lekan Mustapha said party leaders settled on Abiodun because they believed he had the capacity to represent the district effectively in the Senate. Tayo Onayemi pushed back, saying the Electoral Act and the APC constitution recognise only consensus backed by a written agreement of all aspirants or direct primaries, and that anything short of that was void. Both Daniel and Abiodun have obtained and submitted APC nomination forms, setting up a direct fight for the ticket.
Daniel said some forces in the party were trying to intimidate members and suppress turnout at the primary, but he urged supporters to show up anyway. “Go to town and check with the people,” he said. “Ask them questions. You’re here; on your way out, go to the people and ask questions about who is on the ground.” He added: “What the governor and others depend on is that they’re going to use violence and scare people from coming out to vote. And that’s why I’m telling our people that they should not be deterred; they should come out and vote.”
The showdown now turns on whether the APC’s Ogun East primary will settle the ticket cleanly or confirm the split already visible in the district. Daniel has made clear he is not backing away, and his camp is treating the contest as a test of who can actually deliver the ward-level votes when the primary is finally held.
