Former Ogun State governor and current Ogun East Senator, Gbenga Daniel, has challenged Governor Dapo Abiodun to a live televised debate amid growing political tensions over the 2027 Ogun East Senatorial contest.
Daniel threw the challenge during an appearance on TVC’s Beyond The Headlines on Thursday, insisting that any refusal by the governor to participate would amount to an admission of defeat.
“This is an open invitation. And between you and I, if you don’t do that, my assumption is that he ran away. It’s an open challenge,” Daniel said during the interview.
The senator urged the programme host to organise the encounter without delay, stressing that both political figures should be allowed to address the issues publicly.
“You will have done this programme disservice if you don’t pair us. And let’s do it quickly,” he added.
Responding, the programme host disclosed that the station would formally invite Governor Abiodun, noting that a seat had already been reserved for him and that Daniel would return for the proposed face-off.
The public challenge follows weeks of rising political friction between the two All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders over the Ogun East Senatorial seat ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In April 2026, APC stakeholders in the district reportedly endorsed Abiodun as the consensus candidate for the senatorial seat, a move Daniel rejected. The senator has continued to demand open primaries, alleging that the endorsement process was manipulated.
During the interview, Daniel also warned the governor that his tenure in office was nearing its end.
“Your Excellency, you are now going to be a former governor very soon. I would say, Your Excellency, you remember I came to you, and I told you pointedly that this young man who is following you is going to be the one who is going to destroy your government,” he stated.
The former governor further suggested that Abiodun had breached unwritten political principles guiding relationships among political actors.
“There are certain lines you don’t cross in this business. There are certain lines you don’t cross,” Daniel said.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Ogun State Government nor the governor’s media office had issued an official response to the challenge.
Governor Abiodun is currently serving his second and constitutionally final term in office, making him ineligible to seek re-election in 2027.
With the end of his administration approaching, political discussions have increasingly linked the governor to a possible bid for the Ogun East Senate seat currently occupied by Daniel.
The senator has repeatedly portrayed the unfolding political battle as an act of betrayal by a governor he claims to have supported into office.
