By Muhammad Mamman
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has firmly rebuffed claims by former governor and current Ogun East Senator, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, who alleges a politically driven plot to demolish his properties. The row centres on Daniel’s Asoludero residence and Conference Hotel in Sagamu, which he claims were legally built before the enactment of the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning Law No. 61 of 2022.
In a sharp response, Kayode Akinmade, the governor’s spokesperson, dismissed Daniel’s accusations as “cheap blackmail,” asserting that no one, including the former governor, is above the law. Akinmade clarified that Daniel, alongside other property owners in the Sagamu Government Reservation Area (GRA), received standard notices as part of a routine urban renewal audit. This exercise, already underway in Ibara GRA, Abeokuta, and now extended to Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode, aims to verify permits and land titles for all developments, from homes to commercial properties.
“Governor Abiodun’s vision is to transform Ogun State through new housing estates and urban regeneration,” Akinmade stated. “This audit ensures compliance with town planning regulations, and Daniel’s properties are simply part of this lawful process.”
Rather than providing the required documentation within the stipulated timeframe, Daniel has cried foul, alleging political motives and disregard for due process. However, Akinmade stressed that the notices served were standard procedure, applied uniformly to numerous structures in the area.
