A Governor’s Folly: Dapo Abiodun’s desperate campaign of calumny against Otunba Gbenga Daniel
Kayode ‘Kassim Adeseyitan’ Akinmade’s recent foray into media punditry, where he attempted to defend his boss, Dapo Abiodun, by blaming Otunba Gbenga Daniel for a viral social post, is yet another testament to a pattern of scapegoating and historical revisionism. Akinmade’s stock in trade, as evidenced by his latest outburst, is to divert attention from damning questions about his principal’s past by attacking perceived political opponents.
In his haste to defend, Akinmade ignored the critical issues raised in the viral post and instead embarked on a wild goose chase, conveniently blaming OGD for events that transpired long before the two men ever met.
The post, which has circulated widely on social media, raises serious questions that demand a direct and immediate response from Governor Abiodun. As concerned residents of Ogun State, pro-democracy advocates, and active participants in the NADECO movement, we find it imperative that the governor provide clarity on the following points:
Was Dapo Abiodun a member of the “Abacha Boys,” a group that included figures like Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and possibly Sergeant Rogers? This question speaks to his alleged association with a regime notorious for its brutal crackdown on pro-democracy activists.
What was his role, if any, in the assassination attempts on members of the NADECO movement, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Senator Remi Tinubu? These are grave allegations that touch upon the very foundation of Nigeria’s democratic struggle.
What was his full involvement in the allegations of corruption, receiving money under false pretense, grand larceny, and treasonable felony related to the $3 million USD bribe? This incident is a matter of public record and requires a transparent explanation.
How many times since 2002 has he attempted to orchestrate Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s expulsion from any party they have belonged to together when things did not go his way? This question addresses a recurring pattern of political infighting and an inability to coexist.
What was his role in the relocation of the Dangote Refinery from Ogun State, particularly as the then Chairman of the Olokola Free Trade Zone? This decision has had a lasting negative economic impact on the state, and the public deserves to know why it occurred.
What was his role as the Chairman of the Ogun State Oil and Gas Committee, which supervised Gateway Oil and Gas? This is another area of his past that has been shrouded in controversy and demands clarification.
These questions are not merely political jabs; they speak to Governor Abiodun’s character, capacity, and competence to hold public office. They touch upon his alleged violent opposition to the very constitution he swore to uphold, all for personal gain. It is a sad reality that we now live in a society where individuals in leadership positions look for someone to blame for their own failures and a flawed past.
Akinmade’s attempt to use the 2023 gubernatorial election results as a weapon against OGD is equally flawed. He correctly notes Governor Abiodun’s widespread unpopularity, which was laid bare in the election results. It is shameful that despite the irregularities, the governor lost woefully in his own senatorial district, Ogun East. One must ask what the true result would have been had the election been ‘regular.’
The governor’s reaction to the campaign feedback from OGD’s ward-to-ward tours; that is demanding names and account numbers of displeased indigenes demonstrates a shocking disconnect from the principles of democracy. The idea that sending money is a substitute for good governance and addressing the needs of the people is a classic example of an individual with misplaced priorities.
The attempt to blame Otunba Daniel and fictitiously reference Sir Kensington Adebutu is not only embarrassing but an act of political cowardice. Sir Adebutu is a well-known philanthropist who has donated to countless societal and political causes, including Governor Abiodun’s own campaigns multiple times. To now use his name as an excuse for the governor’s electoral defeat is disingenuous. For the records, Chief Kessington Adebutu as a notable philanthropist has been donating almost every month to the Gateway Front Foundation since 2003 (that is clearly 22 years ago) in appreciation and support of the empowerment programs that the Foundation has been doing even long before Mr. Dapo Abiodun became the Governor.
The claims of Otunba Daniel’s alleged suspension from the party and his “subversive” actions are equally baseless and expose the desperation of the Abiodun camp. The so-called “suspension” is a public relations stunt, with no official letter or laid-down procedure followed. It was concocted on social media and in the governor’s living room, a process alien to a thoroughbred politician like Otunba Daniel, who appreciates due process and protocol.
The claim that OGD has been subversive is a classic case of projection. There is no evidence to support this. In stark contrast, it is Governor Abiodun who has consistently demeaned Otunba Daniel at state and party functions. Furthermore, his supporters who followed him from the PDP have been systematically ostracized from party participation and positions on the governor’s explicit orders.
The accusation that OGD “shunned” the bye-election campaign is a convenient lie. The governor, in his “emperorship mindset,” constituted a campaign committee for the by-election with no input from the senator representing the district. He did not deem it fit to include the senator in the committee and side-stepped him during the visit of the National Chairman. It is nonsensical to expect a senator who was deliberately excluded and left in the dark to “jump on a plane” and attend a campaign he was blocked from participating in.
The entire narrative of OGD sending a message and then deleting it is built on hearsay (“everything ‘alleged’ and ‘was said'”). This is a flimsy and unverifiable claim designed to manufacture a crisis.
While the Abiodun camp accuses OGD of working against the party, they conveniently forget that the president himself lost at Governor Abiodun’s own polling unit, ward, and local government. This fact alone undermines their entire argument.
The so-called “exclusive” about billions of naira is a classic beer parlor rumour, as evidenced by the fact that the story could only reference a single figure of N350 million. Even if one were to assume, without conceding, that such a deposit occurred, which politician of note in Ogun and beyond has not been a beneficiary of Baba Ijebu’s well-known philanthropy for their elections? Can Governor Abiodun himself stand before his God and deny receiving funds from Sir Adebutu for both his 2019 and 2023 campaigns (even while contesting against his son, Hon. Ladi Adebutu)? This is a desperate attempt to create a scandal to divert attention from Abiodun’s own recent woes. An “exclusive” without hard documentary evidence is nothing more than a warped exegesis.
Akinmade’s reference to Amosun seizing OGD’s assets is an attempt to create a false narrative of victimization. They conveniently omit to mention whether Governor Abiodun, in his six years in office, has returned these properties as his cronies have parroted. The silence on this matter is deafening and points to a failure to live up to their own claims.
The assertion that Dapo Abiodun “moved mountains” to ensure OGD “was given the Senatorial ticket” is a laughable falsehood. The claim that OGD “would have lost to SLM” is a baseless speculation. As for OGD being a “serial betrayer,” one only needs to examine Governor Abiodun’s own track record. What did he do to Senator Ibikunle Amosun (SIA), Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD), former President Olusegun Obasanjo (OBJ), and Senator Solomon Olamilekan (Yayi)? The governor’s own history is one of political expediency and a trail of broken alliances.
In conclusion, Governor Dapo Abiodun’s latest media campaign against Otunba Gbenga Daniel is not an act of political strength but a sign of his deep-seated unpopularity and desperation. Instead of addressing the serious questions about his past, he and his media henchmen are engaged in a futile attempt to rewrite history and deflect blame.
The people of Ogun State are not fooled by these kindergarten errors and cheap propaganda. They have expressed their dissatisfaction at the polls, and no amount of fabricated stories can change that reality.
