Former Ogun State governor and current Senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of orchestrating a politically motivated plan to demolish his private residence, The Asoludero Court in Sagamu, along with Conference Hotels Limited and its annex in the same city.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Steve Oliyide, on Saturday, Daniel alleged that the state government served him simultaneous notices of contravention, quit orders, and threats of demolition on Friday, August 8, at about 4:00 p.m. The notices cited alleged violations of the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning Law No. 61 of 2022.
Daniel dismissed the claims as “laughable” and “deeply rooted in thuggish political vendetta,” insisting the buildings were lawfully constructed long before the 2022 legislation was enacted. He noted that The Asoludero Court was completed in 2004, Conference Hotel Sagamu in 2013, and the annex in 2015.
“This is a flimsy excuse to justify political persecution. The administration is trying to apply a law retroactively to demolish structures that predate it by many years,” Daniel said. “They have bypassed due process, serving contravention and quit notices at the same time, followed by immediate demolition threats. This is not legal procedure—it is intimidation.”
He recalled that in September 2023, the government allegedly ordered the midnight demolition of DATKEM Plaza in Ijebu Ode, owned by his wife, Olufunke Daniel, under similarly controversial circumstances. The matter, he said, is still in court, where the state has already lost several applications.
Daniel called on human rights groups, legal bodies, and the public to condemn what he described as an “egregious abuse of power.” He vowed to use all legal avenues to resist the move and hold the governor accountable.
Responding, Governor Abiodun’s Special Adviser on Media, Kayode Akinmade, denied any political motives, stating that the action was part of a wider compliance check on building approvals and documentation across the state.
“The letter was not sent to him alone; many other properties with similar violations have been notified. If his papers are genuine, there’s no need to panic,” Akinmade said, adding that a detailed government statement would follow.
