Ogun State: What does Otunba Gbenga Daniel really want?

Otunba Justus Olugbenga Daniel is not new to the Nigerian political space. Infact, there is almost nowhere within the country his name is mentioned that it doesn’t pull some weight or rings a bell.

Aside from being a very successful engineer and businessman before featuring into politics, the founder of Krestal Laurel, an Electro-mechanical Engineering company, and the owner of Conference Hotels with branches in Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Abeokuta and Isheri part of Lagos, was the most successful former governor in Ogun State till date.

While it is not possible for him to re-contest to lead the state again after serving the statutory two terms stipulated by the constitution, as a good chunk of its citizens wish, his vast acceptance was re-echoed recently when he was elected as a senator to represent Ogun East Senatorial Constituency at the national assembly.

Under What’s Trending, Freelanews Gen Z reporters beamed the light on the social media discussions on the ever smiling former governor.

What started the argument

There was an article being circulated in WhatsApp groups titled OGD’s long walk in APC: An eyewitness account, which chronicled the journey of the politician from the beginning and how he finally landed in All Progressives Congress, APC. (Read in the link).

In a particular group, one Otunba Adekunle Owosina, acknowledged that he understood the writeup but posed some pertinent questions to another member, Otunba Femi Davies, who shared the article attributed to a group, OGD Youth Wing.

“With this write up well understood, now my question? 1. What does OGD want after winning the Senatorial Seat of Ogun East, that make to support an opposition party against the party under which he contested. 2. What good things has PDA done to OGD in the early stage of his tenure? 3. As a former Governor, can he stomach all his action of breach of protocol he normally do whenever their is any outing OGD will attend with PDA? 4. In your write up you do mentioned structure, is the Party Structure OGD is interested in taking or the Senate seat he has won. I will be glad to have answers to this my questions before I proceed,” he queried.

Chief Oluwole Adeyi responded, “Beautiful Mrng to u my brother. Pls can u substantiate this claim with facts and let’s stop politics of them ‘Say’.”

“I need your response, I asked questions that beg for answers from you,” Otunba Owosina fired back.

In his response to Otunba Owosina, Otunba Davies took his points one after the other.

A very good morning to you. I woke up to your questions and I feel obliged to drop these lines hoping the other series of the part 1 which you read will shed more lights.
“What Does OGD want?”
The answer should be straightforward: OGD wants nothing but his dignity and respect unviolated.
But in the warped minds of the wannabe overlords, the former governor deserves no honour and he and the people he leads must be perpetually kept subservient without any voice.
To blackmail OGD, these illogical beings claim he brought no value to them in 2019, yet they cry blue murder each time he appears to keep his dignified silence and distance.
They are quick to reel out a few demeaning handouts given to “OGD followers” but in their insincerity, they forget that the OGD structure was not built on a patronage system; everyone who identifies with OGD does so based on conviction and not on inordinate expectations. That is why he always encourages supporters to have “a second address”, even as they strive to make a success out of their vocation in politics.
Importantly, claims that OGD got N250 million and $70,000 as support from PDA weeks to election is a fat lie.
We challenge anyone with any shred of evidence of payment of the aforesaid sums to come forward and make public their proofs or forever perish in their lies.
For nearly a year, OGD traversed the 103 wards in Ogun East, rallying the party faithful and the general public to achieve success for APC at the elections. This came at a very huge cost which rolled into billions and he bore the cost alone without help from any quarter. Instead, he was vilified and harangued by state operatives at every turn.
While we know that OGD’s decision to listen to politicians across all divides is the cause of the latest migraine in the camp of those who fear that his endorsement may spell doom for them, we, on his behalf, offer no apology. The man has repeatedly stated that while he remains an APC chieftain and stands committed to the success of the party, he is not ready to fight any political enemy again. This, he said, is borne out of his experience in the last 11 years and how God vindicated him despite wicked frame-ups and gang-ups in and out of court.
Those who wish to cage OGD through their shenanigans had better have a rethink. Behind his smiles rests a resolute, forward-looking resolve to optimally deliver benefits to constituents who have elected him to be their voice at the National Assembly.
2. Since you seem to know much about the good things PDA did to OGD in the early stage of his tenure, I wish to be educated as I have no record of such.
3.You pointed out breach of protocol, again, I will appreciate if this claim or claims can be situated, because the OGD I know is a refined gentleman, a statesman whose public acts have been top notch, kindly help point out the breach of protocol which you claim “OGD normally do whenever their is any outing OGD will attend with PDA”.
4. Regarding this last question, the “Series 2” will be out later this evening which will identify how politics of seclusion played a major part in the failure of the party in the state.
Have yourself a wonderful day, as I await your feedback soon.

Also, Steve Oliyide joined in the conversation thus:

I appreciate these questions, though like Chief Adeyi said, they would have been more explicit with facts. However, I will attempt to answer some questions too.
1. What evidence (Video, audio, meetings) suggest that OGD “support(ed) an opposition party against the party under which he contested? Other than the hearsay.
2. What are the evidences of the good things that PDA has done for OGD in the early stage of his tenure? This will be better answered by PDA or any of his handlers, all we need to do is to confirm or disprove them.
3. Can we have specifics (facts, evidence) of all these actions “of breach of protocol he normally do whenever their (sic) is any outing OGD will attend with PDA?
4. What evidence or facts point in the direction or suggest that OGD is interested in the Party Structure.
I will be more than glad to also proceed on this robust conversation if you can honestly provide details and answers to my cross question. In this age and time, we are mature enough not to base our conclusions on mere hearsays, what we read on social media; we should be able to deal with hard and concrete facts. Thanks.

To this, Otunba Owosina responded, “Steve Oliyide was the first person to explain the reason why OGD will not support PDA for his re-election, I reply then that OGD need to make some clarification about this up till date no response. Silence is consent. Furthermore if he is not after any other thing after he won his election, I believe he should use the gap between his election & that of PDA to do everything within his capacity to campaign for the re-election of PDA instead his Campaign DG started working against the re-election of PDA. My take on this is that they want any rivals within the Ogun East Senatorial District, that to say a two term Governor. About breach of protocol, I have studied the arrival of OGD @ official occasions where PDA will be in attendance that OGD normally come late & when he come to such occasions instead of taking his seat quietly there will be uoroars.”

‘Nekan: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Honestly, you don’t have any point. Everybody knows the governor who appears very late at every event. So much that people will be tired of waiting. OGD as a former governor know and follows protocols. It is your detorutoru man that has made attendance timing of his events hard for everyone and you can’t blame OGD when people always hail him at every appearance. Ilara lon payin ku. Elo jawo.

Oliyide responded to Otunba Owosina thus:

Thanks for this response:
1. Steve Oliyide is not OGD and in all his write ups, it was emphatic that the opinions he expressed were entirely his. OGD does not need to make any calcification of what he did not say, but alluding to what somebody else says to him. And I think I have the right to my personal opinions on political matters. And my reasons are very clear, in all his conduct and actions PDA does not believe in the OGD Political structure, and he has even said this to people. In other words, if he wins, the political family should not expect any patronage from him because he does not recognize them in the first place. So, win or lose, PDA is of no personal consequence to me. If he wins, let him celebrate and be happy with his family and if he loses, neither is useful to me. As a matter of fact, his loss might even prove beneficial to the people of Ogun State for good governance.
2. Whether OGD should have campaigned for PDA, that is also my boss’s personal choice and prerogative. How do you also prove he did not work nor campaign for PDA? Did PDA request for his support and he turned him down? You already jumped into conclusion of “his Campaign DG started working against the re-election of PDA”. The campaign DG is a human being like myself who also has personal choices and aspirations. Even while I cannot substantiate your claim, if the Campaign DG works for someone else, that is still not OGD. The stereotypes that a lot of people carry in their heads make them to conclude that when any of OGD’s aides and associates do something, then it must all be tallied to OGD. This is wrong, OGD provides Masterclass Leadership, unparalleled yet, he respects your opinion, not yet equalled disposition to other’s personal views. He tries to convince you to his own side of arguments, and will never coerce you to his world view. If that is what you expect him to do, alas, no. He respects his followers opinions too. And that is why a lot of people will go and still come back to him, even years after.
3. Your view on rivalry in Ogun East is highly subjective. You are entitled to it though, but it lacks the basis in concrete facts. When OGD supported DA in 2019, he knew quite well that DA is from Ogun East. I have also sat at meetings where OGD told people that it will be politically incorrect for him to support a candidate that is not from Ogun East for governorship. I hope that beats the logic of your insinuations on rivalry.
4. You still did not give any concrete instance of these breach of protocol. You only allude in general terms. For clarity, you could say on so, so and so date, this and this is what OGD did, and if I can hazzard and explanation, I could try. But as to arriving late to official functions, I think iw will be rude if I say you lied there, so I will use the word, not correct. On the contrary, it is PDA that has a legendary reputation for lateness to events. My colleagues in the media had walked out on the Governor on no fewer than three occasions for keeping them waiting. I could not recall a single instance where OGD arrived later than the Governor at any official occasion. As a matter of fact, I know and can say this with every responsibilities, that OGD always avoid public functions with PDA either to arrive early or even arrive together or leave events together. What we noticed is that because of the Popular government which OGD ran, that touched on the lives of a lot of people, at any event, the shout of “OGD!” usually rent the air and the man is always feeling embarrassed where a sitting Governor is. This is not his own doing, it was a result of the goodwill he planted in people with good governance. Because of that, unless it becomes extremely important to attend, OGD avoids public functions with DA, and whenever he is attending, he tries to be there earlier so that the noise and accolades would have died down before the Governor arrives to avoid the embarrassment. If this gesture is therefore not appreciated and that the man should be commended for it, it is rather unfortunate. It therefore looks like Governor himself who is suffering some complex or the hypocrites and sycophants around him are sowing such seed of bile into him.
I hope you will take time to read this in good faith and digest it with open hearts.

What is your own take on Ogun politics? Drop your comments in box below.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.